DFT Study of p-tert-Butylcalix[5]crown-6-ether Complexed with Alkylammonium Ions

The structures and energies of p-tert-butylcalix[5]crown-6-ether (1) and its alkylammonium complexes have been calculated by DFT B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) method. We have studied the binding sites of these host-guest complexes focusing on the p-tert-butylcalix[5]arene pocket (endo) or the crown-6-ether moiety (exo) of 1. The smaller alkylammonium cations have the better complexation efficiency with p-tert-butylcalix[5]crown-6- ether than the bulkier alkylammonium ions. For the sec- and tert-butylammonium ions, the hydrogen-bond distances of the exo-complexes are shorter, therefore, stronger than the endo-cases. This DFT calculated result is in parallel with the trend of the experimental association constants of the branched butylammonium ions