Question

I am searching for some papers which form complex between crown ether and caesium carbonate. But Most papers only use caesium carbonate as a base in the synthesis of crown ether, not ionic compound for chelation. Can't caesium carbonate form complex with crown ether? Does the fact that caesium carbonate is a base have to do with it? More generally, does the anion of ionic compound also affect the formation of complex between crown ether and metal cation?

Answer 1

Caesium carbonate does not typically form complexes with crown ethers due to the absence of lone pairs of electrons on its carbonate ions. The formation of complexes between crown ethers and metal cations depends on the specific metal cation and the anion of the ionic compound.

Step-by-step explanation:

Caesium carbonate, Cs2CO3, is commonly used as a base in the synthesis of crown ethers, which are cyclic molecules with multiple ether functional groups. Crown ethers are known for their ability to form complexes with metal cations by coordinating with them through their oxygen atoms.

However, caesium carbonate itself does not typically form complexes with crown ethers. This is because the carbonate ions in Cs2CO3 do not have lone pairs of electrons available for coordination with the crown ether.

In general, the formation of complexes between crown ethers and metal cations depends on the specific metal cation and the anion of the ionic compound. Crown ethers can interact with metal cations that have a high charge density and a small size, as they are more likely to accept electron pairs from the crown ether's oxygen atoms.

The anion of the ionic compound may also affect the formation of the complex by influencing the stability and solubility of the complex ion.