DFT study on the effects of substituents on the structure and properties of dithiophosphate collectors

The structures and properties of seven substituted dithiophosphate (DTP) collectors containing three types of functional groups (O₂PS₂, C₂PS₂, and N₂PS₂) were studied using density functional theory. The collectors studied were dibutyl dithiophosphate (DNBDTP), diisobutyl dithiophosphate (DIBDTP), dibutoxyethyl dithiophosphate (DBOEDTP), xylenol dithiophosphate (DMPDTP), diisobutyl dithiohypophosphite (3418A), diphenylamine dithiophosphate (DTADTP), and dicyclohexylamine dithiophosphate (DCADTP). The structural analysis showed that the PS bond lengths in the C₂PS₂ and N₂PS₂ types are longer than those in the O₂PS₂ type, indicating that the strength of the PS bond is weaker in the former two. The frontier molecular orbital studies showed that the energy differences between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) of 3418A (C₂PS₂ type) and DCADTP (N₂PS₂ type) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of galena are significantly lower than those of the other collectors, suggesting that C₂PS₂ type and N₂PS₂ type with cyclohexane could enhance the interaction with galena. Using the Fukui function to calculate the nucleophilicity and electrophilicity of the sulfur atom indicated that the S atom exhibits nucleophilicity, especially in DMPDTP and DTADTP, which contain benzene rings, and the S atom exhibits strong nucleophilicity without electrophilicity. However, due to the lack of contribution from S atoms to the LUMO orbitals, the S atoms in these two compounds are not participate in any LUMO reactions. The adsorption results demonstrated that 3418A (C₂PS₂ type) and DCADTP (N₂PS₂ type) exhibit the strongest adsorption on Pb²⁺ ions, while DMPDTP (C₂PS₂ type) and DTADTP (O₂PS₂ type) which contain benzene rings, as well as DBOEDTP (C₂PS₂ type) which does not contain a benzene ring, exhibit weaker interaction compared to the other compounds. These are consistent with the results of the frontier molecular orbital and electrophilic nucleophilicity calculations.