A novel crown ether generation containing the pyrilium heteroaromatic cation — Synthesis, characterization, and solid-phase 13C NMR

Abstract

The synthesis and structural characterization of two members, 5 and 6, of a novel generation of crown ethers containing the pyrilium cation are reported. These two compounds contain two and three benzo-9-crown-3 (B9C3) units, respectively, connected to the 2 and 6 or 2, 4, and 6 positions of a central pyrilium cation. The crown ethers 5 and 6 were obtained from the condensation reaction of appropriate aldehydes and methyl ketones in the presence of POCl3. A variety of physicochemical methods including electrospray mass spectroscopy, solution 1H and 13C NMR, and solid-phase 13C NMR were applied for structural characterization. The 1H and 13C NMR studies indicate rapid rotation of the B9C3 unit about the C–C bond that connects the two units to each other. The solid-phase 13C NMR spectra of these two crown ethers reveal that there are deviations from planarity for the two phenyl rings attached at the 2 and 6 positions of the central pyrilium cation.Key words: crown ether, pyrilium, solid-phase NMR, crownpyrilium, heteroaromatic.