3-Phenyl-and 3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dihydroxy and -6,7-dihydroxychromenones were prepared from ethyl 3-oxo-2-phenylpropanoate, ethyl 3-oxo-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-propanoate and the trihydroxy benzenes in H 2 SO 4 . 3-Aryl-7,8-and 3-aryl-6,7-dihydroxy-2H-chromenones reacted with the bis-dihalides of polyglycols in DMF/MeCO 3 to afford 12-Crown-4, 15-Crown-4 and 18-Crown-6-chromenones. The products were identified with IR, 1H NMR, low and high resolution mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Some 1:1 cation association constants, K b , of the 3-phenyl chromenone crown ethers with Li + , Na + , K + and Rb + cations were studied by steady state emission fluorescence spectroscopy; K b chromenone-crown complexes displayed crown ether-cation binding selectivity rules properly in acetonitrile.