Cyclen

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title: "Cyclen" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ethyleneamines", "macrocycles", "chelating-agents", "nitrogen-heterocycles", "secondary-amines"] topic_path: "general/ethyleneamines" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclen" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

| verifiedrevid = 443545290 | ImageFile=Cyclen.svg | ImageSize=150px | PIN=1,4,7,10-Tetrazacyclododecane | OtherNames= Tetraaza-12-crown-4 [12]aneN₄ |Section1={{Chembox Identifiers | ChemSpiderID_Ref = | ChemSpiderID = 58488 | InChI = 1/C8H20N4/c1-2-10-5-6-12-8-7-11-4-3-9-1/h9-12H,1-8H2 | InChIKey = QBPPRVHXOZRESW-UHFFFAOYAQ | SMILES1 = C1CNCCNCCNCCN1 | ChEMBL_Ref = | ChEMBL = 19880 | StdInChI_Ref = | StdInChI = 1S/C8H20N4/c1-2-10-5-6-12-8-7-11-4-3-9-1/h9-12H,1-8H2 | StdInChIKey_Ref = | StdInChIKey = QBPPRVHXOZRESW-UHFFFAOYSA-N | CASNo_Ref = | CASNo=294-90-6 | UNII_Ref = | UNII = 964584YO2O | PubChem=64963 | ChEBI_Ref = | ChEBI = 37391 | SMILES = N1CCNCCNCCNCC1 |Section2={{Chembox Properties | C=8 | H=20 | N=4 | Appearance=White solid | Density= | MeltingPtC= 110-113 | BoilingPt= | Solubility= |Section3={{Chembox Hazards | MainHazards= | FlashPt= | AutoignitionPt =

Cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) is an aza-crown ether with the formula (CH2CH2NH)4. It is a white solid. It forms coordination complexes with metal cations and is used to synthesize the chelating agent DOTA which has several medical applications. Being structurally simple, symmetrical, and polyfunctional, cyclen has been widely investigated.

Synthesis

Some syntheses exploit the Thorpe-Ingold effect to facilitate ring-formation. Illustrative is the reaction of the deprotonated tosylamides with ditosylates: :TsN(CH2CH2NTsNa)2 + TsN(CH2CH2OTs)2 → (TsNCH2CH2)4 The resulting macrocycle can be deprotected with strong acid. Base gives the tetramine.

High dilution conditions result in a low reaction rate penalty and this disadvantage is removed in an alternative procedure starting from triethylenetetraamine and dithiooxamide to a bisamidine – also a bis(imidazoline) – followed by reduction and ring expansion with DIBAL.

:[[Image:Cyclen synthesis dithiooxamide method.png|500px|Cyclen synthesis dithiooxamide method]]

Coordination complexes

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/CSD_CIF_JIKJUI.jpg" caption="pages=307–313 }}"] ::

Coordination complexes of cyclen have been studied extensively. With a 12-membered ring, it tends to bind to four contiguous sites on octahedral metal centers, forming four 4-membered rings (see example figure). In contrast the larger cyclam ligand forms complexes consisting of 4 coplanar rings.

Cyclen also forms complexes of the type [Ln(cyclen)2]3+ where Ln = lanthanide.

References

References

  1. {{RedBook2005
  2. (2019). "The Scope of Application of Macrocyclic Polyamines Beyond Metal Chelation". European Journal of Organic Chemistry.
  3. (1978). "1,4,7,10,13,16-Hexaazacyclooctadecane". Org. Synth..
  4. (2002). "1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane". Org. Synth..
  5. (1990). "A Novel Conformation for a Coordinated Macrocycle: The Crystal Structure of [Ni(12-aneN4)(OH2)2](CIO4)2·H2O; (12-aneN4= 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane)". Journal of Coordination Chemistry.
  6. (2005). "Responsive lanthanide luminescent cyclen complexes: From switching/Sensing to supramolecular architectures". Chemical Communications.
  7. (2015). "Macrocyclic Metal Complexes for Metalloenzyme Mimicry and Sensor Development". Accounts of Chemical Research.
  8. (2022). "Properties of Amine-Containing Ligands That Are Necessary for Visible-Light-Promoted Catalysis with Divalent Europium". Inorganic Chemistry.

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ethyleneaminesmacrocycleschelating-agentsnitrogen-heterocyclessecondary-amines