Synthesis of four novel pendant armed macrocyclic ligands and their interaction with lanthanide(III) cations

The ability of La³⁺ ions to form stable complexes with four novel pendant-armed N_xO_y-macrocycles derived from 2,6-bis(2-formylphenoxymethyl)pyridine, L¹, L², L ³, and L⁴, has been studied. The corresponding (unsubstituted) parent ligands were prepared by the reaction between 2,6-bis(2-formylphenoxymethyl)pyridine and three different amines: 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)propane (L¹), diethylenetriamine (L ²), and 3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanediamine (L³ and L ⁴). This was followed for the parent ligands of L¹, L ³, and L⁴ by in situ reduction with sodium borohydride. The pendant-armed ligands were then synthesized by the alkylation of the free-NH groups with p-(L¹ and L³) and o-nitrobenzyl bromide (L⁴), and 2-chloromethylpyridine chlorohydrate (L²). A series of Ln(III) complexes were prepared for the four ligands by the direct synthesis between the corresponding macrocycle and Ln(III) hydrated nitrates and perchlorates. The number of complexes obtained from the pendant-armed macrocycles is lower than that of the (unsubstituted) parent ones, suggesting that the introduction of pendant arms in the macrocyclic skeletons increases the selectivity of the ligands. More complexes were synthesized when using nitrate as the counterion, showing the important role of the counterion in the complexation reaction.