Novel Macrocycles. Part 6. Synthesis, Structures and Cation Binding from Optical Spectroscopy of 9,10-Anthraquinone-crown Ethers

The 9,10-anthraquinone-12]crown-4, 15]crown-5 and 18]crown-6 derivatives were synthesized from 1,2-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone and 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone which were condensed with dihalides or ditosylates of polyethylene glycols in alkali carbonate/DMSO. The 9,10-anthraquinone derived polyoxacyclo-alkanes were characterized with IR, mass spectrometry, ¹H, ¹³C spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The cation binding properties were studied with UV-vis spectroscopy. The association constants found in acetonitrile were selectively dependent on the cation radius and macrocycle size as well as the molecular structures. The observed results from UV-vis studies, however, showed the stronger complexing role of 1,2-derived macrocycles compared to those of 1,8-derivatives. The theoretical conformational analysis and the energy optimisations of the 9,10-anthraquinone-macrocycles carried out with MM+ method explained the binding results.