Cylindrical cryptands 2a-c, in which two 1, 7-dioxa-4, 10-diazacyclododecane rings are connected by two equally substituted propylene bridges, have been obtained in appreciable yields by a “onepot” synthesis. The assembling of the macrotricyclic structure is likely driven by the template effect of metal cations. These compounds, both as free receptors or as complexes, exist as cis and trans diastereoisomers, which do not interconvert and have ...
