1,4,7,10-Tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetra-azacyclododecane: a strong cation complexer

Abstract

The title compound uses a varying number of side-arm ligating atoms for the complexation of alkali cation, leading to penta-, hepta-, and octa-co-ordination for Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺, respectively, and for tetrahedral encapsulation of a water molecule, while the conformation of the 12-membered ring remains the same.