Photoactive cryptands. Synthesis of the sodium cryptates of macrobicyclic ligands containing bipyridine and phenoanthroline groups

The NaBr cryptates of five macrobicyclic ligands containing bipyridine (bpy) and phenanthroline (phen) groups, i.e , of [bpy.bpy.bpy] 1 [bpy.bpy.phen] 2 [phen.phen.‐phen] 3 [2.1.phen] 4 and [2.2.phen] 5 , have been prepared. 1, 2, 4 and 5 have been obtained in high yield by condensation of bis(bromomethyl)bipyridine 6 or ‐phenanthroline 9 with the corresponding macrocyclic diamines in presence of Na 2 CO 3 . Direct access to the NaBr complexes of th symmetrical cryptands 1 and 3 was achieved by a one‐step macrobicyclisation procedure. The metal‐ion complexes of ligands 1‐5 have the attractive feature of combining the cation inclusion , nature of cryptates with the photoactivity of bipyridine and phenanthroline groups; they may thus be expected to posses a variety of interesting physical and chemical properties.