A DFT Study on the Selective Extraction of Metallic Ions by 12-Crown-4

In order to predict the extraction ability of 12-crown-4 for different metallic ions, the complexes M(12-crown-4)] and M(H₂O)₄] (where M=Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Be²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺) were investigated by the density functional theory without restrictions for their geometry. The metal binding capability was evaluated using the binding energy, and the effect of nature of the metal on the binding properties was also studied. The results of the calculations showed that the coordination ability of a donor molecule towards different metal ions increased in proportion to their ionization potential. In addition, based on the extraction distribution coefficient, we found that 12-crown-4 can selectively extract Cu²⁺ and Be²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions of mixed cations. Obviously, the stability of complexes and the extraction power of extractants depend greatly on the nature of the metal ions. Calculation results from our study could be used to predict the extraction power of this crown ether and could play a guiding role in planning experiments.