Three new azamacrocyclic-cyclophane hybrid receptors L 1, L 2, and L 3 have been synthesized that incorporate either 1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) or 1, 4, 7- triazacyclononane (tacn) unit (s) tethered via a short amidic spacer to an electron donor and a H-bonding crown ether polycycle. The crown ether is designed to act as a host toward biologically relevant guests, whereas the macrocycle can coordinate a zinc (II) or a copper ...