Protonation of calix[4]arene-(2,3-naphthylene-crown-6,crown-6): Experimental and theoretical study

Abstract

On the basis of extraction experiments and γ-activity measurements, the extraction constant corresponding to the equilibrium H3O+ (aq) + 1·Na+ (nb) ⇄1·H3O+ (nb) + Na+ (aq) occurring in the two–phase water–nitrobenzene system (1 = calix[4]arene-(2,3-naphthylene-crown-6,crown-6); aq = aqueous phase, nb = nitrobenzene phase) was determined as log Kex(H3O+,1·Na+) = −0.2 ± 0.1. Further, the stability constant of the 1·H3O+ complex in nitrobenzene saturated with water was calculated for a temperature of 25 °C: log βnb(1·H3O+) = 5.9 ± 0.2. Finally, applying quantum chemical DFT calculations, the most probable structure of the cationic complex species 1·H3O+ was derived. In the resulting complex, the “central” cation H3O+ is bound by three strong hydrogen bonds to two phenoxy oxygen atoms and to one ethereal oxygen from the crown-6 moiety of the parent ligand 1. The interaction energy, E(int), of the considered 1·H3O+ complex was found to be −416.0 kJ/mol, confirming the formation of this cationic species as well.