Preparation and characterization of the crystalline inclusion complexes between cyclodextrins and poly(1,3-dioxolane)

The preparation and characterization of the crystalline inclusion complexes between a polymeric guest, poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDXL), and small-molecular hosts, cyclodextrins (CDs) are reported. It is observed that the polymer guest can form crystalline inclusion complexes with three kinds of cyclodextrins, which may be attributed to the high oxygen atom density in PDXL chain. The crystalline inclusion complexes were characterized with FTIR , TGA, X-ray diffraction, SEM, 1H NMR and 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopes. It was found that the crystalline inclusion complexes have higher temperature stability than the pure CDs. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the crystalline inclusion complexes proved that they have columnar structures. 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra of the crystalline inclusion complexes indicate that CDs adopt a more symmetrical conformation in the complexes, while pure CDs assume a less symmetrical conformation in the crystal without a guest inside their cavities. The morphology of the crystal was     

Temperature-controlled poly(propylene) glycol hydrophobicity on the formation of inclusion complexes with modified cyclodextrins. A DSC and ITC study

The study highlighted the main forces driving the formation of hydroxypropyl-cyclodextrins (HP-CDs) + poly(propylene) glycol 725 g mol(-1) inclusion complexes. The temperature parameter was chosen as the variable to modulate the hydrophobicity of the polymer, and consequently ITC experiments as functions of temperature as well as DSC measurements were done in a systematic way. The polymer is not included into HP-α-CD, it is strongly bound to HP-β-CD and it is floating in HP-γ-CD. The stability of the inclusion complexes is entropy controlled. The gain of the entropy is a unique result compared to the opposite literature findings for inclusion complexes based on polymers and CDs. This peculiarity is ascribable to the removal of water molecules from cages during complexation and this effect compensates the entropy loss due to constraints caused by the CD threading. In spite the host-guest van der Waals contacts are optimized, the enthalpies for the inclusion complex formation are positive and reveal the large heat required for dehydrating the propylene oxide units. All the macrocycles enhanced the polymer solubility in water. Increasing the affinity of the macrocycle to the macromolecule makes more expanded the one-phase area of the binodal curve. A new thermodynamic approach was proposed to predict quantitatively the binodal curve as well as the dependence of the enthalpy of separation phase on the macrocycle composition. The agreement between the experimental data and the computed values was excellent.     

Upper Critical Solution Temperature-Type Responsive Cyclodextrins with Characteristic Inclusion Abilities

Water-soluble and thermoresponsive macrocycles with stable inclusion toward guests are highly valuable to construct stimuli-responsive supramolecular materials for versatile applications. Here, we develop such macrocycles – ureido-substituted cyclodextrins (CDs) which exhibit unprecedented upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior in aqueous media. These novel CD derivatives showed good solubility in water at elevated temperature, but collapsed from water to form large coacervates upon cooling to low temperature. Their cloud points are greatly dependent on concentration and can be mediated through oxidation and chelation with silver ions. Significantly, the amphiphilicity of these CD derivatives is supportive to host-guest binding, which affords them inclusion abilities to guest dyes. The inclusion complexation remained nearly intact during thermally induced phase transitions, which is in contrast to the switchable inclusion behavior of lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type CDs. Moreover, ureido-substituted CDs were exploited to co-encapsulate a pair of guest dyes whose fluorescence resonance energy transfer process can be switched by the UCST phase transition. We therefore believe these novel thermoresponsive CDs may form a new strategy for developing smart macrocycles and allow for exploring smart supramolecular materials.     

The Nano-threading of Polymers

When guest polymers are threaded by host cyclodextrins (CDs) to form crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs), the included polymer chains are highly extended and separated from neighboring chains. This is a consequence of the stacking of the cyclic oligosaccharides, α-, β-, or γ-CD containing 6, 7, or 8 glucose units, respectively, which produces continuous narrow channels (~0.5–1.0 nm diameters), where the guest polymers are included and confined. Observations that illuminate several important aspects of the nano-threading of polymers to form polymer-CD-ICs are described. These include (i) the competitive CD threading of polymers with different chemical structures and molecular weights from their solutions containing suspended solid or dissolved CDs, (ii) the threading and insertion of undiluted liquid polymers into solid CDs, and (iii) suspension of polymer A or B-CD-IC crystals in a solution of polymer B or A and observation of the transfer of polymer B or A from solution to displace polymer A or B and form polymer B or A-CD-ICs, without dissolution of the CD-ICs. In addition, we report observations of polyolefins adsorbed on zeolites, where we believe the adsorbed polyolefin chains are actually threaded and absorbed into the interiors of the zeolite nano-pores, rather than adsorbed on the zeolite surfaces. All of the above observations were made to assist in answering the question “Why do randomly-coiling polymer chains in solution or the melt become threaded or thread into the nano-pores of dissolved or solid CDs and solid zeolites, where they are highly extended and segregated from other polymer chains?” Though still not fully able to answer this question, we are able to assess the importance of several factors that have been previously suggested to be important in the formation of CD-ICs with both polymer and small-molecule guests and to the nano-threading of polymers in general. In particular, the value in observations of the inclusion of guest polymers, as well as small-molecule guests, into solid CDs suspended in their solutions and in neat guest liquids were made apparent, because interactions between host CDs, between CDs and solvents, and between quests and solvents, which complicate and make understanding the formation of polymer-CD-ICs difficult, are either eliminated or can be independently varied in these experiments.     

Investigation on the inclusions of PCB52 with cyclodextrins by performing DFT calculations and molecular dynamics simulations

The effective enrichment and identification of lowly concentrated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment is attracting enormous research attention due to human health concerns. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are known to be capable of forming inclusion complexes with a variety of organic molecules. The purpose of this study is to provide theoretical evidence of whether CDs as host molecules can include the guest molecules PCBs to form stable host-guest inclusion complexes, and if so, whether the general infrared and Raman techniques are suitable for the direction of CD-modified PCBs. Focusing on a representative PCB molecule, 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB52), we carried out density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on its complexes with α-, β-, and γ-CDs with different host-guest stoichiometry ratios, including 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, and 2:2. On the basis of both the optimized geometries and calculated energy changes raised from encapsulating the guest molecule into the cavities of CDs, the CDs are believed to be suitable hosts for accommodating PCB52 guest molecules. The stability of inclusion complexes depends on both the type of CD and host-guest stoichiometry ratio. MD simulations give a clear picture of the scene on how the PCB52 molecule enters the cavity of β-CD. The vibrational analyses on the 1:1 complexes of CDs provide information for the spectral characterization of the inclusion complexes: Raman spectroscopy can deliver the characteristic bands of PCB52, whereas IR spectroscopy cannot uniquely assign them, implying that Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique for the identification of CD-modified PCBs. The present theoretical results are expected to provide guidance for the relevant experimental research.     

Estimation of the molecular weights of noncovalent columnar polymers based on β-cyclodextrin by the measurement of the aggregation rate of their polymer inclusion complexes with polypropylene glycol

Noncovalent columnar polymers (NCPs) based on cyclodextrins (CD) are polymeric assemblies of molecules that have continuous hollow channels, the width of which is determined by the diameter of the cavity of the initial CDs. The repeating fragment in an NCP is the CD molecule. For NCPs that were obtained by the exclusion of polymer backbone macromolecule from the corresponding inclusion complexes (ICs) based on β-cyclodextrin (NCP_excl), the polymer length, expressed as the number of macrocycles in a single chain (n) is determined by the size of the included ligand, polypropylene glycol (PPG), and is the PPG polymerization degree divided by two. The determination of the molecular weight of an NCP obtained by the precipitation method (NCP_prec) is rather difficult, since they are present in the aggregated state rather than in the form of individual molecules in solution. To estimate the molecular weight of NCP_prec, an indirect method is used, which is based on the determination of the aggregation rate of the ICs formed as a result of the interaction between an NCP and polypropylene glycol with a fixed molecular weight (MW), in this case PPG 1000. The comparison of the aggregation rates of the inclusion between NCP_excb (which were synthesized using PPGs with different molecular weights) and PPG 1000 with the aggregation rate of the inclusion complex on the basis of NCP_prec provided the estimation for the MWs of single polymer chains. The fact that the samples of NCPprec contain ∼30% of the monomeric β-CD was taken into account when constructing the calibration curve. It was demonstrated that the MW of the polypropylene glycol corresponding to NCP_prec is 1320 Da. Consequently, ∼11–12 molecules of β-CD are included in the single chains of NCP_prec.     

Effect of peracylation of beta-cyclodextrin on the molecular structure and on the formation of inclusion complexes: an X-ray study.

The molecular structures of peracylated beta-cyclodextrins (CDs)--heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-acetyl)-beta-CD (TA), heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-propanoyl)-beta-CD (TP), and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-butanoyl)-beta-CD (TB)--have been determined by single crystal X-ray structure analysis. Due to the lack of O2...O3' hydrogen bonds between adjacent glucose units of the peracylated CDs, the macrocycles are elliptically distorted into nonplanar boat-shaped structures. The glucose units are tilted with respect to the O4 plane to relieve steric hindrance between adjacent acyl chains. In TB, all glucose units adopt the common (4)C(1)-chair conformation and one butanoyl chain intramolecularly penetrates the cavity, whereas, in TA and TP, one glucose unit each occurs in (O)S(2)-skew-boat conformation and one acyl chain closes the O6 side like a lid. In each of the three homologous molecules the intramolecular self-inclusion and lidlike orientation of acyl chains forces the associated O5-C5-C6-O6 torsion angle into a trans-conformation never observed before for unsubstituted CD; the inclusion behavior of TA, TP, and TB in solution has been studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy with the drug molsidomine and several organic compounds. No inclusion complexes are formed, which is attributed to the intramolecular closure of the molecular cavity by one of the acyl chains.     

Application of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide for the Preparation of Drug-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds

Inclusion complexes of drugs into cyclodextrins (CDs) can be obtained at the solid state by means of supercritical dioxide (SCCO₂). A successful inclusion with a yield >98.5% has been achieved with piroxicam and -CD. The temperature and the time of exposure to SCCO₂ have a significant effect on the inclusion yield while the pressure has a negative effect. However, there is a strong interaction between temperature and pressure and this interaction has a positive influence. The molar ratio piroxicam--CD and the addition of ternary alkaline agents were also found to be significant factors. The dissolution rate of the complexes formed using SCCO₂ was found to be significantly higher than that of the physical mixture. Inclusion complexes have also been obtained with miconazole treating mixtures of miconazole, CDs and citric acid by SCCO₂. This new technique of inclusion of poorly soluble drugs into CDs allows the preparation of solid complexes without using organic solvents and thus without residues.     

Noncovalent columnar structures based on β-cyclodextrin

A new method for the synthesis of associates of cyclodextrins (CDs) of the columnar type consisting of the precipitation of CDs from aqueous solutions into acetone at lowered temperatures is developed. It is shown that columnar structures exist in both a crystalline state and in aqueous solutions. Hydrodynamic radii and molecular masses of noncovalent columnar structures (NCSs) in aqueous solutions are determined by the dynamic and static light scattering methods. The degree of association of noncovalent columnar polymers is ～40. It is revealed the NCS associates based on β-CD are stable and their hydrodynamic radius R _h is equal to 100 ± 10 nm. The kinetics of interactions of initial β-CD and NCS with poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) is studied. The pattern of kinetic curves of R _h growth upon interaction between NCS and PPO indicates that the aggregation of the particles of polymer inclusion complex proceeds in the regime of reaction-limited cluster-cluster aggregation. Kinetic curves describing the interaction processes between β-cyclodextrin and PPO are characterized by the presence of induction period t ₀. At t > t ₀, R _h ∞ t ^0.56 which is typical for the diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation. Schemes of the formation of polymer inclusion complexes between initial β-CD or NCS and poly(propylene oxide) are proposed. Comparison of kinetic data on the complexation of β-CD in solution in the form of associates of two types with PPO demonstrates that columnar forms of associates are reactive species acting as macroreceptors.     

Fluorescence properties of (R)- and (S)-[1,1′-binaphthalene]-2,2′-diols solutions and their complexes with cyclodextrins in aqueous medium

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques were used to study (R)- and (S)-[1,1′-binaphthalene]-2,2′-diol (1,1′-binaphthol or BINOL) dilute solutions of different polarity solvents, as well as their inclusion complexes with α- and βcyclodextrins (CDs) in water. BINOLs in dilute water solutions exhibited a surprisingly high fluorescence anisotropy that was explained as being due to the formation of fairly large order π–π stacking aggregates in aqueous polar media. Stoichiometries, formation constants and the changes of enthalpy and entropy upon inclusion were also obtained by measuring the variation of the fluorescence intensity with [CD] and temperature. Results agree with the formation of 1:1 stoichiometry complexes, but the association constants are rather low and very similar for both enantiomers. Molecular mechanic calculations in the presence of water were employed to study the formation of BINOL complexes with both α- and βCDs. For the most stable structures of any of the complexes only a small portion of the guests, in agreement with thermodynamics parameters and quenching experiments, penetrates inside the CD cavities. Driving forces for 1:1 inclusion processes may be dominated by non-bonded van der Waals host:guest interactions. The low guest:host binding constants and poor enantioselectivity of α- and βCDs for BINOLS may be a consequence of the BINOL aggregation in water.     

Study of inclusion complex formation between a cationic surfactant, two cyclodextrins and a drug

In this study inclusion of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) with α-, and β-cyclodextrin (CD) in the presence and the absence of bromhexine (BH) was investigated using ion-selective electrode method. The association constants of HTAB with CDs were determined by potentiometry and were close to literature values. The obtained results indicated that α-CD formed 1:1 and 1:2 inclusion complexes, but β-CD formed only a 1:1 inclusion complex. In the presence of drug, the interaction between CDs and HTAB decreased, because both drug and HTAB could interact with CDs. The results showed that the interaction between drug and CDs are greater than HTAB and CDs. The stoichiometry of the inclusion complexes, the critical aggregation concentration (CAC), the monomer surfactant concentration of HTAB, [HTAB]_f, and also the effect of the inclusion complex on the micellization process of the HTAB were determined by conductivity measurements.     

Supramolecular organization and thermal properties of polypseudorotaxanes based on α-cyclodextrine and an ionogenic polymer

The structure, morphology, and thermal properties of polymeric complexes, initial components, and new ionic polypseudorotaxane based on poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid),-N, N-dimethyl-N??-(4-nitrophenyl)-decane-1,10-diamine-??-cyclodextrine containing photophysically active groups in side chains are studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, DSC, and TGA methods. It is shown that supramolecular inclusion complexes that give rise to a crystalline precipitate with the columnar structure and hexagonal packing of macrocycles in the base plane are formed. It is found that the structure of complexes is affected by temperature. The models of supramolecular ordering in the complexes that relate the structure and thermophysical properties of the studied systems are suggested.     

Two-phase channel structures based on alpha-cyclodextrin-polyethylene glycol inclusion complexes

Wide-angle X-ray scattering observations of alpha-cyclodextrin (CD)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) inclusion complexes (ICs) have shown for the first time that two crystalline columnar modifications (forms I and II) are produced in the process of their formation. This was made possible by precise azimuthal X-ray diffraction scanning of oriented IC samples. Form I is characterized by CDs threaded onto PEG chains and arranged along channels in the order head-to-head/tail-to-tail, while form II is formed by unbound CDs also arranged into columns in a head-to-tail and also possibly a head-to-head/tail-to-tail manner, probably as a result of template crystallization on the form I IC crystals. It was shown that similar structural peculiarities are inherent for channel structures based on ICs obtained with PEG with a wide range of molecular weights (MWs). The characteristic feature of ICs based on PEG, especially with MW > 8000, is the presence of unbound polymer in the composition of the complex. The amount of unbound PEG was shown to rise with increasing MW of PEG, resulting in greater imperfections in the IC crystalline structure. The polyblock structure of ICs based on alpha-CD and PEG was therefore proposed.     

Silver pyrazolates as coordination-polymer luminescent metallomesogens

Silver pyrazolates with columnar liquid-crystal phases that are stable at room temperature have been prepared by reaction of silver nitrate with 3,5-diarylpyrazolates. The complexes consist of open-chain oligomers, despite the fact that the most common structural type for homoleptic coinage metal pyrazolates is the trimeric metallacycle [M(μ-pz)](3). The special characteristics of silver in forming reversible metal-ligand bonds in solution, evidenced experimentally, leads to supramolecular organizations in which the silver cations promote self-organization of the nonmesomorphic pyrazolates into helical 1D polymers that exhibit columnar mesophases. The materials are readily soluble in common organic solvents and are liquid-crystalline over a broader temperature range than their gold counterparts, which are known to form discrete cyclic trinuclear species. Thin films of the silver complexes show luminescence at room temperature. The compounds described here are the first examples of luminescent metallomesogens formed by a main-chain coordination polymer.     

A joint QM/MD study on α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins in selective complexation with cathinone

In this article, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and 30 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed to investigate the ability of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) to form selective complexes with cathinone. DFT calculations in the gas phase, water, chloroform and methanol reveal that the solvents, reduce the stability of the complexes. Optimized structures confirm that α-CD cannot encapsulate cathinone, completely, while other CDs showed an opposite behavior. DFT calculations indicate that cathinone has the most stable complex with γ-CD in comparison to the α- and β-CDs. Natural bond orbital and quantum theory of atoms in molecules analyses reveal that the electrostatic interactions between cathinone and CDs are the driving force of the complex formation. MD simulations confirm that different solvents play an important role in the stability of the cathinone complexes and the obtained MD results are in good agreement with the DFT calculations.     

Macromolecular Recognition and Macroscopic Interactions by Cyclodextrins

Herein macromolecular recognition by cyclodextrins (CDs) is summarized. Recognition of macromolecules by CDs is classified as main‐chain recognition or side‐chain recognition. We found that CDs form inclusion complexes with various polymers with high selectivity. Polyrotaxanes in which many CDs are entrapped in a polymer chain were prepared. Tubular polymers were prepared from the polyrotaxanes. CDs were found to recognize side‐chains of polymers selectively. CD host polymers were found to form gels with guest polymers in water. These gels showed self‐healing properties. When azobenzene was used as a guest, the gel showed sol‐gel transition by photoirradiation. When ferrocene was used, redox‐responsive gels were obtained. Macroscopic self‐assembly through molecular recognition has been discovered. Photoswitchable gel association and dissociation have been observed.     

Supramolecular organization in the solid state of a novel soluble polydiacetylene

The synthesis of the monomer 1,6-bis(3,6-dihexadecyl-N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadiyne, its polymerization and the purification of the polymer, which is soluble in common organic solvents, are reported. Results from powder X-ray diffraction studies carried out on the red form of the polymer are discussed. The red polymer chains self-assemble into cylindrical shapes which produce hexagonal columnar mesophases with a transition from a more (Colho) to a less ordered (Colhd) structure around 85 C. The role played by the long alkyl chains in the formation of the supramolecular hexagonal mesophase is emphasized by comparing these results with those obtained from an analogous polymer with dodecyl substituents which exhibits only the Colhd structure over the whole range of temperature explored.     

Inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins with 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides (part 2)

Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize inclusion compounds between 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimides (ANI) derivatives and different cyclodextrins (CDs). The ANI derivatives employed were N-(12-aminododecyl)-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (mono-C₁₂ANI) and N,N′-(1,12-dodecanediyl)bis-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (bis-C₁₂ANI). The CDs used here were α-CD, β-CD, γ-CD, HP-α-CD, HP-β-CD and HP-γ-CD. The presence of CDs resulted in pronounced blue-shifts in the emission spectra of the ANI derivatives, with increases in emission intensity. This behavior was parallel to that observed for the dyes in apolar solvents, indicating that inclusion complexes were formed between the ANI and the CDs. Mono-C₁₂ANI formed inclusion complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry with all the CDs studied. Complexes with the larger CDs (HP-β-CD, HP-γ-CD and γ-CD) were formed by inclusion of the chromophoric ANI ring system, whereas the smaller CDs (α-CD, HP-α-CD and β-CD) formed complexes with mono-C₁₂ANI by inclusion of the dodecyl chain. Bis-C₁₂ANI formed inclusion complexes of 1:2 stoichiometry with HP-β-CD, HP-γ-CD and γ-CD, but did not form inclusion complexes with α-CD, HP-α-CD and β-CD. The data were treated in the case of the large CDs using a Benesi-Hildebrand like equation, giving the following equilibrium constants: mono-C₁₂ANI:HP-β-CD (K ₁₁ = 50 M^?1), mono-C₁₂ANI:HP-γ-CD (K ₁₁ = 180 M^?1), bis-C₁₂ANI:HP-β-CD (K ₁₂ = 146 M^?2), bis-C₁₂ANI:HP-γ-CD (K ₁₂ = 280 M^?2).     

Investigation on the inclusion behaviour of baicalein with β-cyclodextrin and derivatives and their antioxidant ability study

The formation of the complexes of baicalein (Ba) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and β-CD derivatives (HP-β-CD and Me-β-CD) was studied by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence method, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and phase-solubility measurement. The solid–inclusion complexes of Ba with CDs were synthesised by the co-precipitation method. The characterisations of the solid–inclusion complexes have been proved by infrared spectra and differential scanning calorimetry. Experimental conditions including the concentration of various CDs and media acidity were investigated in detail. The results suggested that the inclusion ratio of HP-β-CD with Ba was the highest among the three kinds of CDs. The binding constants (Ks) of the inclusion complexes were determined by fluorescence method and phase-solubility measurement. Kinetic studies of DPPH√ with Ba and CDs complexes were also done. The results indicated that the Ba/HP-β-CD complex was the most reactive form.     

Interactions of tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin with cyclodextrins and disodium phthalate in aqueous solution

In pH 7.3 buffers, the interactions of a cationic porphyrin, tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP), with cyclodextrins (CDs) and disodium phthalate (DSP) have been examined by means of absorption, fluorescence, and induced circular dichroism spectroscopy. α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD form a 1:1 inclusion complex with a TMPyP monomer, which dimerizes in solution without CD. TMPyP also forms a 1:1 organic cation–organic anion complex with DSP. The 1:1 TMPyP–DSP complex forms a ternary CD–TMPyP–DSP inclusion complex with α-, β-, and γ-CD, in which a DSP molecule is not incorporated into the CD cavity. From the fluorescence intensity change, the␣equilibrium constants have been evaluated for the formation of the inclusion complexes and the organic cation–anion complexes.