New hybrid ditopic ligands containing fused phenanthroline and crown ether units

Reaction of 5,6-dihydroxy-1,10-phenanthroline with various poly(ethylene)glycol-ditosylates affords, in good yield, a series of ligands in which a phenanthroline binding site is attached to an adjacent crown ether unit; the NN chelating site may be coordinated to {Ru(bipy)2}2+ units to afford [Ru(bipy)3]2+ derivatives with pendant crown ether units, which can bind alkali metal ions