12-Crown-4
Encyclopedia
12-crown-4, also called 1,4,7,10-tetraoxacyclododecane and Lithium Ionophore
V, is a crown ether
with the formula C8H16O4. It is a cyclic tetramer
of ethylene oxide
which is specific for the lithium cation:
Ionophore
An ionophore is a lipid-soluble molecule usually synthesized by microorganisms to transport ions across the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane...
V, is a crown ether
Crown ether
Crown ethers are cyclic chemical compounds that consist of a ring containing several ether groups. The most common crown ethers are oligomers of ethylene oxide, the repeating unit being ethyleneoxy, i.e., -CH2CH2O-. Important members of this series are the tetramer , the pentamer , and the hexamer...
with the formula C8H16O4. It is a cyclic tetramer
Tetramer
A tetramer is a protein with four subunits . There are homotetramers such as glutathione S-transferase or single-strand binding protein, dimers of hetero-dimers such as hemoglobin , and heterotetramers, where each subunit is different.-Subunit interactions in tetramers:The interactions between...
of ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide, also called oxirane, is the organic compound with the formula . It is a cyclic ether. This means that it is composed of two alkyl groups attached to an oxygen atom in a cyclic shape . This colorless flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor is the simplest epoxide, a three-membered...
which is specific for the lithium cation:
See also
- Crown etherCrown etherCrown ethers are cyclic chemical compounds that consist of a ring containing several ether groups. The most common crown ethers are oligomers of ethylene oxide, the repeating unit being ethyleneoxy, i.e., -CH2CH2O-. Important members of this series are the tetramer , the pentamer , and the hexamer...
- CyclenCyclenCyclen or 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane is a macrocycle and the aza analogue of the crown ether 12-crown-4. Derivatives of cyclen are larger cyclic polyamines but the repeating unit is always the same. Like crown ethers, cyclen compounds are capable of selectively binding cations...
, a similar molecule with N atoms (aza groups) instead of O atoms (ethers)