Study on the Inclusion Compounds of Eugenol with α-, β-, γ- and Heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrins

Several host–guest inclusion compounds of eugenol as a guest molecule and cyclodextrins (α-,β-,γ-CD) and heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (DMβ-CD) as hosts were investigated in the solid state and in aqueous solution. The one-to-one solid inclusion compounds of eugenol and β-CD or γ-CD were prepared, but those of eugenol with α- or DMβ-CD were not obtained under the same condition. However, the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy data indicated that the liquid guest could form a 1:1 inclusion compound with all four hosts respectively in aqueous solution. The two solid inclusion compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The association constants (K), calculated from the modified Benesi–Hidebrand equation, of eugenol with α-, β-, γ- and DMβ-CD is 4.95 × 10⁴, 3.96 × 10⁵, 1.47 × 10⁵ and 9.33 × 10⁴ mol⁻¹ dm³, respectively.