Chirale 2,2′-Polyoxaalkano-9,9′-spirobifluorene

Chiral 2,2′-polyoxaalkano-9,9′-spirobifluorenes From 2,2′-diacetyl-9,9′-spirobifluorene (2) , twelve chiral polyethers have been prepared as potential ion- and enantiomer-selective ionophores. The absolute configuration of the polyethers 15 – 17 , 19 – 22 , and 25 has been determined by chemical correlation with vespirenes [11] [29], by circular dichroism, and by X-ray analysis. The circular dichroism of 15 – 17 , 19 and 21 depends on the size of the macrocycle and indicates that the fluorene chromophores of 19 and 21 with 13- and 16-membered rings respectively deviate considerably from orthogonality.