Thermodynamics of molecular recognition of bile salts by 3,6'-(oligoethylenediamino-bridged) beta-cyclodextrin dimers

The molecular recognition behaviors of some representative bile salts by three 3,6'-bridged beta-cyclodextrin dimers with oligo(ethylenediamino) linkers in different lengths, i.e. 3,6'-(ethylenediamino-bridged) beta-cyclodextrin dimer (1), 3,6'-(diethylenetriamino-bridged) beta-cyclodextrin dimer (2), and 3,6'-(triethylenetetraamino-bridged) beta-cyclodextrin dimer (3), were investigated in aqueous phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.20) at 25 degrees C by means of 2D NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration microcalorimetry. Owing to the cooperative host-linker-guest binding mode between host and guest, these 3,6'-bridged beta-cyclodextrin dimers showed significantly enhanced binding abilities and molecular selectivities as compared with native beta-cyclodextrin through the simultaneous contributions of hydrophobic, hydrogen bond, and electrostatic interactions. Thermodynamically, the inclusion complexations of these beta-cyclodextrin dimers with bile salts were mainly driven by large enthalpic gain, accompanied by slight to moderate entropic loss. An enthalpy-entropy compensation analysis demonstrated that these beta-cyclodextrin dimers experienced large conformational changes and extensive desolvation effect upon inclusion complexation with guest molecules.