Effect of n-alkyl chain length on the complexation of phenanthrene and 9-alkyl-phenanthrene with beta-cyclodextrin

The characteristics of host-guest complexation between beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and phenanthrene derivatives (phenanthrene, n-propyl, n-butyl and n-hexyl-phenanthrene) were investigated by fluorescence spectrometry. Linear and non-linear regression methods were used to estimate the formation constants (K1). A 1:1 stoichiometric ratio and an effect of n-alkyl chain length on the formation constant were observed for the binary inclusion complex between guest and beta-CD. The formation constant dramatically increases with the length of n-alkyl, it starts from the value of 140 l mol(-1) for the phenanthrene to reach the value of 580 l mol(-1) for hexyl-phenanthrene. The effect of the temperature on the fluorescence intensity of each complex (guest-host) was also studied; and then the thermodynamic parameters were calculated. The main inclusion site seems to be aromatic moiety for short chain molecules, and it moves toward the alkyl chain part, as the chain becomes longer.