Conductometric determination of the stability constants of the inclusion complexes of alkali cations with [22-DD] diaza crown ether, [211] and [221] cryptands in acetonitrile

An equilibrium study concerning the association of Na⁺, K ⁺, Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ with 4, 7, 13, 18-tetraoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo [8, 5, 5]-eicosane [211], 4, 7, 13, 16, 21-pentaoxa-1, 10-diazabicyclo [8, 8, 5]-tricosane [221] and 4, 13-didecyl-1, 7, 10, 16-tetraoxa-4, 13-diazacyclooctadecane [22-DD] in acetonitrile has been carried out at 25°C by using a conductometric technique. The observed molar conductivity, Λ, of a test solution was found to decrease significantly for mole ratios less than 1:1 upon the addition of the complexing ligand. A model based on 1:1 stoichiometry has been used to analyze the conductivity data. The data have been fitted according to a non-linear least-squares analysis that provides the stability constant, K, and the molar conductivity, Λ_c, for each cation - ligand inclusion complex. The binding sequences were found to follow the order: Na⁺ > K⁺ > Rb⁺ ≫ Cs⁺ (K ≈ 0) for [211], Na⁺ > K⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺ for [221] and K ⁺ > Na⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺ for [22-DD] complexes. Trends in ionic conductivities of complexed ions are also discussed.