A series of palladium(II) complexes with nitro- and formylbenzothiacrown-ether derivatives was synthesized. The spatial structure of the complexes was studied by NMR, X-ray diffraction analysis, and quantum chemical calculations (density functional theory). The cavity size and the ligand denticity were found to be crucial factors determining the geometric configuration of the thiacrown-ether complexes. Palladium(II) complexes with benzodithia-12(18)-crown-4(6) ethers were demonstrated to have a cis-configured S(2)PdY(2) fragment (Y = Cl, OAc). In the case of Pd(II) and benzodithia-21-crown-7 ethers, only complexes with a trans configuration of the S(2)PdY(2) fragment form. In the case of Pd(II) and nitrobenzomonothia-15-crown-5 ether, only 2(ligand):1(Pd) complex with trans configuration of the core fragment forms.

Novel 2-benzothiazole-, 4-pyridine-, and 2- and 4-quinoline-based styryl dyes containing an N-methylbenzoaza-15(18)-crown-5(6)-ether moiety were synthesized. A detailed electronic spectroscopy study revealed high performance of these compounds as optical molecular sensors for alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations. They were shown to considerably surpass analogous chromoionophores based on N-phenylaza-crown ethers regarding both the ionochromism and the cation-binding ability. In addition, they act as fluorescent sensors for the metal cations by demonstrating cation-triggered emission. Upon complexation with Ba(2+), the fluorescence enhancement factor reaches 61. The structural features of dyes and their metal complexes were studied by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The high degree of macrocycle preorganization was found to be one of the factors determining the high cation-binding ability of the sensor molecules based on N-methylbenzoaza-crown ethers.

New NIR emitting materials were found among the lanthanide complexes with 2-(tosylamino)benzylidene-N-benzoylhydrazone. Complexes of Nd(3+), Er(3+) and Yb(3+), as well as Eu(3+), Gd(3+) and Lu(3+), were synthesized for the first time. Owing to the absence of vibration quenching the ytterbium complex was found to exhibit a photoluminescence quantum yield of 1.4%. Since the sensitization efficiency was calculated to be 55%, the losses in the quantum yield are probably due to Yb-Yb resonant energy transfer.

An improved method for the synthesis of formyl derivatives of N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers is proposed. They are prepared in up to 68% yields over fewer steps and with a much shorter time required for the last step. The stability constants of complexes formed by N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers and their structural analogs with alkali metal, alkaline‐earth metal and ammonium cations were determined by 1H NMR titration in CD3CN. High stability of complexes of N‐methyl derivatives of benzoazacrown ethers is demonstrated, comparable with or even exceeding the stability of benzocrown‐ether complexes and markedly exceeding the stability of complexes of phenylazacrown ethers with the same macrocycle size. The structures of azacrown ethers and their complexes with Ba(ClO4)2 were studied by X‐ray diffraction. A high degree of pre‐organization of N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers toward the formation of complexes with metal and ammonium cations was noted, which is due to the clear‐cut pyramidal geometry of the nitrogen atom and the orientation of the lone electron pairs (LEPs) of most heteroatoms towards the centre of the macroheterocycle. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.