Quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations of complexation of alkaline-earth and lanthanide cations by poly-amino-carboxylate ligands

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on lanthanide(III) and alkaline-earth(II) complexes with poly-amino-carboxylates (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate EDTA4-, ethylene-diamino-tri-acetate-acetic acid EDTA(H)3-, tetra-aza-cyclo-dodecane-tetra-acetate DOTA4-, methylene-imidine-acetate MIDA2-) are reported. First, a consistent set of Lennard-Jones parameters for La3+, Eu3+ and Lu3+ cations has been derived from free energy calculations in aqueous solution. Observed differences in hydration free energies, coordination distances and hydration numbers are reproduced. Then, the solution structures of 1:1 complexes of alkaline-earth and/or lanthanide cations with EDTA4-, EDTA(H)3-, DOTA4- and 1:2 complexes of lanthanide cations with MIDA2- were studied by MD in water. In addition, free energy calculations were performed to study, for each ligand, the relative thermodynamic stabilities of complexes with Ca2+ vs Sr2+ and vs Ba2+ on the one hand, and with La3+ vs Eu3+ and vs Lu3+ on the other hand. Model does not take into account explicitly polarization and charge transfer. However, the results qualitatively agree with experimental complexation data (structure and selectivities). (author)