Abstract: | The complex formation between cyclodextrins (CDs) and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) derivatives is described. β‐CD and γ‐CD formed complexes with PPG derivatives such as 1‐naphthyl (1NA), 2‐naphthyl (2NA), 3,5‐dinitrobenzoyl, and 2,4‐dinitrophenyl PPG. α‐CD did not form complexes with these PPG derivatives. Although γ‐CD gave complexes with 9‐anthryl PPG (PPG9An), β‐CD did not efficiently form complexes with PPG9An. β‐CD did not form complexes with trityl PPG, demonstrating that trityl groups were too bulky to thread a β‐CD cavity. The emission spectra of the complexes showed that β‐CD bound a single 2NA moiety in its cavity and that γ‐CD included two 2NA moieties. In contrast, γ‐CD bound a single 1NA moiety in the cavity. X‐ray diffraction studies and 1H NMR analysis showed that the CD molecules were stacked along a PPG chain to form a channel structure. The inclusion modes are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4839–4849, 2000 |