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 …