The synthesis of several crown ether and cryptand complexes with potassium phthalimide, sodium saccharinate and sodium acetylacetonate is reported. The anions in the complexes prove to be activated; this has been used to carry out a series of new nucleophilic substitutions with 2,4‐dinitrochlorobenzene, pentachloropyridine and pentafluoropyridine. Without addition of crown ethers these reactions could not be achieved. Only pentafluoropyridine reacts with potassium phthalimide alone, yielding a monosubstituted product. With crown ether assistance threefold substitution could be realized with pentafluoropyridine, whereas pentachloropyridine gave only monosubstitution.