Supramolecular Nanoscaled Self-Assembly of Bifunctional Cyclodextrin and Trifunctional Melamine Precursors

Cyclodextrin-based ordered rotaxane-monolayers at gold surfaces

Complexation-to-deaggregation effect of cyclodextrin was applied to achieve ordered functional monolayers on a gold surface.

Cyclodextrin-based polymeric materials: synthesis, properties, and pharmaceutical/biomedical applications

This review describes the synthesis, properties, and, in particular, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of an upcoming class of polymeric networks and assemblies based on cyclodextrins (CDs). CDs are cyclic oligosaccharides composed of alpha-1,4-coupled d-glucose units, which contain a hydrophobic internal cavity that can act as a host for various, generally lipophilic, guest molecules. Because of this unique physicochemical property, commonly referred to as inclusion complex formation, CDs have often been used to design polymeric materials, such as hydrogels and nanoparticles. Polymeric systems based on CDs exhibit unique characteristics in terms of mechanical properties, stimuli-responsiveness, and drug release characteristics. In this contribution, first, an outline is given of covalently cross-linked polymeric networks in which CD moieties were structurally incorporated to modulate the network strength as well as the complexation and release of low molecular weight drugs. Second, physically assembled polymeric systems are discussed, of which the formation is accomplished by inclusion complexes between polymer-conjugated CDs and various guest molecule-derivatized polymers. Due to their physical nature, these polymeric systems are sensitive to external stimuli, such as temperature changes, shear forces and the presence of competing CD-binding molecules, which can be exploited to use these systems as injectable, in situ gelling devices. In recent years, many interesting CD-containing polymeric systems have been described in literature. These systems have to be optimized and extensively evaluated in preclinical studies concerning their safety and efficacy, making future clinical applications of these materials in the biomedical and pharmaceutical field feasible.

Photolockable ratiometric viscosity sensitivity of cyclodextrin polypseudorotaxane with light-active rotor graft

A prototype, based on light-active fluorescent rotor grafted to beta-cyclodextrin, shows a good solvent viscosity-sensitive behavior due to the environment-dependent nonradiative decay. With the reversible photoisomerization of the cyanostilbene unit, the viscosity sensitivity of the molecular rotor could be locked and activated, and the two switchable states can be distinguished by fluorescent signals. This cyclodextrin derivative was threaded to form a novel polypseudorotaxane. Such supramolecular assembly displays a lockable ratiometric fluorescent viscosity sensitivity with two emission channels: one aroused by fluorophore's intramolecular excimer without influenced by viscosity is used to gauge the concentration of the compound, while the other corresponding to the monomer's rotor fluorescence acts as a viscosity-sensitive signal and it can be shut off by UV irradiation.