Sorption of phenols by single and mixed cyclodextrin polymers

Cyclodextrin (CD) hydrogels were synthesized by a crosslinking reaction with the same cyclodextrin/epichlorohydrin mole ratio (1/11) using αCD, βCD, γCD, and 50:50 mixtures of α/βCD and β/γCD. In order to investigate the sorption capacity of these hydrogels to different solutes, five model molecules have been selected: phenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 1-naphthol, and the antiinflamatory drug diflunisal. The amounts sorbed have been related to the different affinities of the solutes. 1-naphthol shows the highest affinity for these polymers, especially in the case of sorbents containing βCD. The sorption is considerably poorer for phenol than for its nitro derivatives. The two structural isomers 3- and 4-nitrophenol show significant differences in their affinities towards αCD, βCD and α/βCD. Finally, in the case of diflunisal, a bulkier model molecule, remarkable differences were found on the sorption behaviour by polymers whose cyclodextrins have a similar affinity for this solute (βCD, γCD, and β/γCD).     

Complexation of tyrosol with cyclodextrins

Tyrosol (TY), 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenol, is an olive oil biophenol with antioxidant activity and positive effects on human health. This study has investigated the interactions of TY with cyclodextrins (CD) and a CD polymer. Complexation of TY with β-CD, hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD), and methyl-β-CD (Me-β-CD) has been evaluated both in aqueous solution and in the solid state. The techniques employed in solution to determine the apparent stability constants of the respective complexes were fluorescence and UV–visible spectroscopies. Complexation with β-CD and its derivatives involved an increase of both the UV absorbance and the intrinsic fluorescence of TY; a bathochromic shift of the UV spectrum was detected as well. The apparent stability constants obtained with native β-CD, Me-β-CD and HP-β-CD presented similar values. Complexes in the solid state were obtained by coevaporation and kneading. They were characterised by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential thermal analysis. The interaction of TY with β-CD led to a crystalline complex; the same diffraction pattern was obtained by coevaporation and kneading. The complexes obtained with methyl- and HP-β-CD were amorphous irrespective of the preparation method. In addition, the retention of TY in an insoluble polymer of CD crosslinked with epichlorohydrin has been quantified. In approximately 20 min, 1 mg of TY per gram of polymer was retained.