Complex formation of hydronium ion with several crown ethers in 1,2-dichloroethane,acetonitrile, and nitrobenzene solutions

A conductance study concerning the interaction between hydronium ion and several crown ethers in acetonitrile, nitrobenzene and 1,2-dichloroethane solutions has been carried out at 25°C. The stability constants of the resulting 1:1 complexes in acetonitrile and nitrobenzene solutions were determined from the molar conductance-mole ratio data and found to vary in the order 18C6>DB30C10>DC18C6>DB18C6>DB21C7>DB24C8>B15C5. In 1,2-dichloroethane solution, the complexation process results in the dissociation of ion pairs. There is an inverse relationship between the stabilities of the complexes and the Gutmann donicity of the solvents. In nitrobenzene solution, some evidence for the formation of a 2:1 sandwich adduct between the smaller crowns (i.e., B15C5 and 18-crowns) are observed from the molar conductance-mole ratio data which is supported by the¹H NMR data.