Selective crown ether based macrocyclization: a model case study from N,N-bis(2-hydroxyalkylbenzyl)alkylamine

A model case of selective crown ether based macrocycles, i.e., [1+1] or [2+2] macrocycles, obtained from a simple reaction of N,N-bis(2-hydroxyalkylbenzyl)alkylamine, HBA, and ditosylated compounds is proposed. For HBA with the methyl group at ortho and para positions, and at N atom, 1, the reaction between this derivative and the ditosylated compound with three, four, five, or eight atom chain length gives only a [1+1] macrocycle. For HBA with the methyl group at ortho and para positions, but a cyclohexyl group at N atom, 2, the reaction gives both [1+1] and [2+2] macrocyclic types when reacting with the ditosylated compound. The present work indicates that the structure of HBA induces selective macrocyclization to provide both [1+1] and [2+2] macrocycles.