Grafting of phosphorus-containing tetrahydroxy(thia)calixarenes on silica enhances europium(III) adsorption

One pot sequential reactions of silica gel with tetrachlorosilane/triethylamine mixture and after with the conical upper rim tetraphosphorylated tetrahydroxy(thia)calixarenes yielded porous organo-inorganic sorbents modified by spatially ordered phosphonate, phosphinate or phosphine oxide groups capable of co-operative binding of metal cations. The grafting improves efficacy of europium(III) sorption by the silica gels. DFT calculations of the calixarene-Eu3+ complexes predict a calixarene flattened cone conformation with the coordination of Eu3+ cation to three of four P = O oxygen atoms and one of the aromatic systems. Adding three water molecules excludes completely cation–π interactions.