The cation binding of benzo crown ethers in acetonitrile using fluorescence spectroscopy

The effects of Na⁺, K⁺ and Li⁺ cations on the fluorescence spectra of benzo15]crown-5, benzo18]crown-6 and dibenzo18]crown-6 were investigated in acetonitrile. The alkali cation role observed was usually the complexation-enhanced quenching fluorescence effect (CEQF) in acetonitrile due to the increased fluorescence quenching rate of the complexed fluoroionophore. The association constants for 1 :1 stoichiometry InK _a have been obtained using the relationship 1/K _aL ₀] = (1 –P)²/P. It was shown that the preferential interaction rule of compatibility of cationic radii and macrocyclic ring size is in excellent agreement with the association constants obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy. The order of InK _a found for benzo15]crown-5 complexation was Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ and K⁺ > Na⁺ > Li⁺ for benzo18]crown-6 in acetonitrile.Presented at the Sixth International Seminar on Inclusion Compounds, Istanbul, Turkey, 27–31 August, 1995.