Novel crown ethers with pendant,proton-ionizable,chromogenic groups

Synthesis of fifteen new chromogenic crown ethers is described in which one phenyl group of diphenylamine has been substituted at the 2-, 4-, and 6-positions with strongly electron-withdrawing groups and the other phenyl group bears an oxymethyl crown ether substituent. Structural variations include the crown ether ring size, identity of the electron-withdrawing groups, acidity of the amine function, and positioning of the oxymethyl crown ether substituent ortho, meta, and para to the amine nitrogen. Preparation of a structurally-related chromogenic bis(crown ether) is also reported.