| Names | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|  Preferred IUPAC name  4,7,13,16,21,24-Hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane  | |||
| Other names  Cryptating agent 222 [1]   | |||
| Identifiers | |||
3D model (JSmol)  | |||
| Abbreviations | Crypt-222 | ||
| 620282 | |||
| ChemSpider | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.041.770 | ||
| EC Number | 
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| MeSH | Cryptating+agent+222 | ||
 PubChem CID  | |||
| RTECS number | 
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| UNII | |||
 CompTox Dashboard (EPA)  | |||
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| Properties | |||
| C 18N 2H 36O 6  | |||
| Molar mass | 376.4882 g mol−1 | ||
| Melting point | 68 to 71 °C (154 to 160 °F; 341 to 344 K) | ||
| Hazards | |||
| GHS labelling: | |||
|   | |||
| Warning | |||
| H315, H319, H335 | |||
| P261, P305+P351+P338 | |||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).  | |||
[2.2.2]Cryptand is the organic compound with the formula N(CH2CH2OCH2CH2OCH2CH2)3N. This bicyclic molecule is the most studied member of the cryptand family of chelating agents. [2] It is a white solid. Many analogous compounds are known. Their high affinity for alkali metal cations illustrates the advantages of "preorganization", a concept within the area of supramolecular chemistry.
For the design and synthesis of [2.2.2]cryptand, [3] Jean-Marie Lehn shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The compound was originally prepared starting with the diacylation of the diamine-diether: [4]
The resulting macrocyclic diamide is reduced by lithium aluminium hydride. The resulting macrocyclic diamine tetraether reacts with a second equivalent of [CH2OCH2COCl]2 to produce the macrobicyclic diamide. This di(tertiary)amide is reduced to the diamine by diborane.
[2.2.2]Cryptand binds K+ as an octadentate N2O6 ligand. The resulting cation K([2.2.2]cryptand)+ is lipophilic.