A Photochemically “Switched-on” Crown Ether Containing an Intraannular 4-Methoxyphenylazo Substituent
Abstract
The binding of metal ions can be hindered by the intraannular 4-methoxyphenylazo substituent in dibenzo[18]crown-6 analogues in which a CH2OCH2 group is replaced by a (substituted) m-phenylene ring. When the substituent is photochemically flipped out of the cavity, metal ions may be complexed in the manner characteristic of crown ethers.