Synthesis of new proton‐ionizable crown ether compounds containing substituted lh‐pyridin‐4‐one subcyclic units

Five novel pyridono‐18‐crown‐6 ( 10‐14 ) and two new benzyloxy‐substituted pyridino‐18‐crown‐6 ( 15 and 16 ) ligands have been prepared. By the catalytic hydrogenative removal of the benzyl group from the benzyloxy moiety at position 4 of the pyridine ring of 15 and 16 , pyridono‐18‐crown‐6 ethers 5 and 12 were obtained. These ligands were transformed to their 3,5‐dibromo ( 10 and 13 ) and 3,5‐dinitro derivatives ( 11 and 14 ) by treatment with bromine in methylene chloride and nitric acid in acetic anhydride, respectively. The latter proton‐ionizable crown ethers have p K a values of about 7.5 for 10 and 13 and 4.5 for 11 and 14 . Thus, they are good candidates for complexation and proton‐coupled transport of selected cations.