DFT-B3LYP and SMD study on the interactions between aza-, diaza-, and triaza-12-crown-4 (A n-12-crown-4, n=1, 2, 3) with Na+ in the gas phase and acetonitrile solution

B3LYP/6-311G level of theory is used to study the interactions between aza-, diaza-, and triaza- 12-crown-4 ligands as host molecules and Na+ ion as a guest species. Minimum energy structures, complexes binding energies, basis set superposition errors, and various thermodynamic parameters of free ligands, ion, and complexes have been calculated based on the proposed level of theory. A simple thermodynamic cycle with and without different acetonitrile cluster sizes inside the cavity of Na+, has been used to calculate the stability constants of aza-12-crown-4 complex. All solvation free energy estimations have been done with using SMD model. Results show that with introducing more acetonitrile molecules in the cavity of guest species, the absolute deviation is reduced. In addition, a good linear correlation between experimental complex formation constants and binding energies of complexes has been obtained. Calculated results, which are in agreement with the experimental data, predict that the interaction energy of triaza- is more than diaza-12-crown-4, which in turn is greater than aza-12-crown-4 with Na+ ion.