Complexation of M3+Lanthanide Cations by Calix[4]arene-CMPO Ligands: A Molecular Dynamics Study in Methanol Solution and at a Water/Chloroform Interface

Abstract

We report a molecular dynamics study on the 1:1 M³⁺ lanthanide (La³⁺, Eu³⁺ and Yb³⁺) inclusion complexes of an important extractant molecule L: a calix[4]arene-tetraalkyl ether substituted at the wide rim by four NH-C(O)-CH₂-P(O)Ph₂ arms. The M(NO₃)₃ and MCl₃ complexes of L are compared in methanol solution and at a water / chloroform interface. In the different environments the coordination sphere of M³⁺ involves the four phosphoryl oxygens and three to four loosely bound carbonyl oxygens of the CMPO-like arms. Based on free energy simulations, we address the question of ion binding selectivity in pure liquid phases and at the liquid-liquid interface where L and the complexes are found to adsorb. According to the simulations, the enhancement of M³⁺ cation extraction in the presence of the calixarene platform, examined by comparing L to the (CMPO)₄ “ligand” at the interface, is related to the fact that (i) the (CMPO)₄Eu(NO₃)₃ complex is more hydrophilic than the LEu(NO₃) one and (ii) the free CMPO ligands spread at the interface, and are therefore less organized for cation capture than L.