Orientational Dynamics of β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes

Cyclodextrins in drug delivery: applications in gene and combination therapy

Gene therapy is a powerful tool against genetic disorders and cancer, targeting the source of the disease rather than just treating the symptoms. While much of the initial success of gene delivery relied on viral vectors, non-viral vectors are emerging as promising gene delivery systems for efficacious treatment with decreased toxicity concerns. However, the delivery of genetic material is still challenging, and there is a need for vectors with enhanced targeting, reduced toxicity, and controlled release. In this article, we highlight current work in gene therapy which utilizes the cyclic oligosaccharide molecule cyclodextrin (CD). With a number of unique abilities, such as hosting small molecule drugs, acting as a linker or modular component, reducing immunogenicity, and disrupting membranes, CD is a valuable constituent in many delivery systems. These carriers also demonstrate great promise in combination therapies, due to the ease of assembling macromolecular structures and wide variety of chemical derivatives, which allow for customizable delivery systems and co-delivery of therapeutics. The use of combination and personalized therapies can result in improved patient health-modular systems, such as those which incorporate CD, are more conducive to these therapy types. Graphical abstract.

Host assisted molecular recognition by human serum albumin: Study of molecular recognition controlled protein/drug mimic binding in a microfluidic channel

Human serum albumin (HSA) plays a pivotal role in drug release from its delivery vehicles such as cyclodextrins (CDs) by binding to the drugs. Here molecular recognition and binding of a drug mimic (CD1) to HSA have been explored in a microfluidic channel when CD1 is encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (TRIMEB), respectively, to investigate whether change of the host vehicle modulate the rate of drug binding to the serum protein. Molecular recognition of βCD encapsulated CD1 by HSA occurs by the conformational selection fit mechanism leading to rapid binding of CD1 to HSA (k₁ ~ 700 s^-11) when the βCD/CD1 complex interacts with HSA. In contrary, HSA recognizes CD1 encapsulated in TRIMEB by an induced fit mechanism leading to a significantly slower binding rate (k₁ ~ 20.8 s^-1) of the drug mimic to the protein. Thus molecular recognition controls the rate of HSA binding by CD1 which in turn modulates the rate of delivery of the drug mimic from its macrocyclic hosts. The remarkable change in the molecular recognition pathway of CD1 by HSA, upon change of the host from βCD to TRIMEB, originates from significantly different conformational flexibility of the host/drug mimic complexes.

Inclusion Complexation of Organic Micropollutants with β-Cyclodextrin

Recently, β-cyclodextrin (βCD)-based polymers with enhanced adsorption kinetics and high removal capacity of organic micropollutants (OMPs) and uptake rates have been synthesized and tested experimentally. Although the exact physical–chemical mechanisms via which these polymers capture the various types of OMPs are not yet fully understood, it is suggested that the inclusion complex formation of OMPs with βCD is very important. In this study, the inclusion complex formation of OMPs with βCD in an aqueous solution is investigated by using the well-established attach–pull–release method in force field-based molecular dynamics simulations. A representative set of OMPs is selected based on the measured occurrences in surface and ground waters and the directives published by the European Union. To characterize the formation of the inclusion complex, the binding free energies, enthalpies, and entropies are computed and compared to experimental values. It is shown that computations using the q4md-CD/GAFF/Bind3P force field combination yield binding free energies that are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results for all OMPs studied. The binding enthalpies are decomposed into the main contributing interaction types. It is shown that, for all studied OMPs, the van der Waals interactions are favorable for the inclusion complexion and the hydrogen bond formation of the guest with the solvent and βCD plays a crucial role in the binding mechanism. Our findings show that MD simulations can adequately describe the inclusion complex formation of βCD with OMPs, which is the first step toward understanding the underlying mechanisms via which the βCD-based polymers capture OMPs.

Mechanistic Insights into the Growth of Anisotropic Nanostructures Inside Reverse Micelles: A Solvation Perspective

Reverse micelles (RMs) as soft templates have been successfully used in tailoring the structural characteristics (size and morphology) of nanomaterials that in turn have been used in various applications. In this work, we have focused on the local perturbations in the different interior domains of the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-reverse micelle-based soft template en route to nanorod formation by monitoring the solvation response of coumarin-based solvatochromic probes (C343 and C153). We have observed an appreciable retardation of the solvent coordinate during the initial phases of nanorod growth, which we have attributed to the reorientational motion of the water molecules lodged in the interfacial region. Moreover, these rigid nanostructures leave their imprints on the soft interfacial layer as was observed from the direct correlation in the solvation response of RM-containing nanostructures and respective surfactant aggregates in supernatant solution. Supporting data from time-resolved anisotropy studies further reinforced our conclusions from the solvation experiments. Our study proves that the hydration dynamics can be a promising tool in tracking the heterogeneous growth evolution of nanostructure formation in RMs since solvent reorganization provides insights into the intrinsic, molecular-level features of the micellar assemblies.

Complex Formation of Resorufin and Resazurin with Β-Cyclodextrins: Can Cyclodextrins Interfere with a Resazurin Cell Viability Assay?

Resazurin (or Alamar Blue) is a poorly fluorescent dye. During the cellular reduction of resazurin, its highly fluorescent product resorufin is formed. Resazurin assay is a commonly applied method to investigate viability of bacterial and mammalian cells. In this study, the interaction of resazurin and resorufin with β-cyclodextrins was investigated employing spectroscopic and molecular modeling studies. Furthermore, the influence of β-cyclodextrins on resazurin-based cell viability assay was also tested. Both resazurin and resorufin form stable complexes with the examined β-cyclodextrins (2.0–3.1 × 10³ and 1.3–1.8 × 10³ L/mol were determined as binding constants, respectively). Cells were incubated for 30 and 120 min and treated with resazurin and/or β-cyclodextrins. Our results suggest that cyclodextrins are able to interfere with the resazurin-based cell viability assay that presumably results from the following mechanisms: (1) inhibition of the cellular uptake of resazurin and (2) enhancement of the fluorescence signal of the formed resorufin.

Excited-State Proton Transfer on the Surface of a Therapeutic Protein, Protamine

Proton transfer reactions on biosurfaces play an important role in a myriad of biological processes. Herein, the excited-state proton transfer reaction of 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (HPTS) has been investigated in the presence of an important therapeutic protein, Protamine (PrS), using ground-state absorption, steady-state, and detailed time-resolved emission measurements. HPTS forms a 1:1 complex with Protamine with a high association constant of 2.6 × 10⁴ M^-1. The binding of HPTS with Protamine leads to a significant modulation in the ground-state prototropic equilibrium causing a downward shift of 1.1 unit in the acidity constant (pK_a). In contrast to a large number of reports of slow proton transfer of HPTS on biosurfaces, interestingly, HPTS registers a faster proton transfer event in the presence of Protamine as compared to that of even the bulk aqueous buffer medium. Furthermore, the dimensionality of the proton diffusion process is also significantly reduced on the surface of Protamine that is in contrast to the behavior of HPTS in the bulk aqueous buffer medium, where the proton diffusion process is three-dimensional. The effect of ionic strength on the binding of HPTS toward PrS suggests a predominant role of electrostatic interaction between anionic HPTS and cationic Protamine, which is further supported by molecular docking simulations which predict that the most preferable binding site for HPTS on the surface of Protamine is surrounded by multiple cationic arginine residues.

Controlling the stereospecificity of a volume-conserving adiabatic photoisomerization within a nanotubular self-assembled cage: a reversible light-heat torque converter

We present herein a host-guest supramolecular system by which we were able to obtain precise control of the stereospecificity of a new and unusual adiabatic photoisomerization reaction capable of restoring reversibly the original configuration. The host-guest system is composed of (a) a naphthalene ring linked centrosymmetrically-via sp(2) hybridized oxygen atoms-with methoxytriethyleneglycol chains (1) and (b) a nanotubular cage formed by four self-assembled face-to-face β-cyclodextrins threaded onto the long "axle" of 1. The compound 1 can exist in distinct cis,cis, cis,trans, and trans,trans conformations that are spectrally distinguishable (see Scheme 1 ). Spectroscopic and kinetic manifestations of the torsional isomerization of 1 in the lowest excited singlet state both in solution and within the tubular cage were investigated. The results provide clear evidence that the compact cavity completely blocks the photoisomerization pathway manifested in common solution (cis,cis* → cis,trans*), allowing observation of stereospecific, volume-conserving turning of the naphthalene ring about the two "quasidouble" bonds C(Naph)-O by φ ≈ 180° (cis,cis* → trans,trans*). The photoisomerization is purely adiabatic, and the encaged molecule restores its original configuration by generating torque thermally, when relaxing to the ground state.

Estimation of ground- and excited-state dipole moments of oxazine 1 in liquid and liquid crystalline media

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of a laser dye, oxazine-1 (OX1), in liquid and liquid crystalline media were studied at room temperature. The solvatochromic method was used to determine the ground- and excited-state dipole moments by means of Lippert-Mataga, Bakshiev, Kawski-Chamma-Viallet polarity functions. The solvent polarity has no large and regular effect on the spectral behavior of OX1, and thus it might be considered as a poor solvatochromic indicator dye. In addition, applicability of solvatochromic method for this dye in anisotropic media was investigated. On the other hand, nature and degree of the solute-solvent interactions were characterized using correlation of multi-parameter solvent polarity scales. Due to the theoretical restrictions and the dye molecular structure, deviations from the solvatochromic correlation were observed.

Microscopic investigation of the hydration properties of cyclodextrin and its substituted forms

Substitution of the hydroxyl (OH) groups of cyclodextrins (CDs) by methoxy (OCH(3)) groups is likely to influence the microscopic properties of water inside the cavities of these molecules and in the surrounding hydration layers. We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of aqueous solutions of beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) and its two methyl-substituted forms, dimethyl beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB) and trimethyl beta-cyclodextrin (TRIMEB). The calculations reveal that the translational and rotational motions of water present either in the hydration layers or in the cavities of these macrocyclic molecules are slower than that of pure bulk water. Interestingly, it is noticed that the effect of confinement inside the cavity increases with substitution of the OH groups of the BCD molecule. Most importantly, it is revealed that the time scale of relaxation of the CD-water (CW) and water-water (WW) hydrogen bonds are correlated with the microscopic dynamics of water and their degree of confinement within the cavities of these molecules.

Solvent polarizability and anisotropy effects on the photophysical behavior of oxazine 1: an appropriate polarizability indicator dye

The spectroscopic features of a laser dye, oxazine 1 (OX1), were investigated in liquid and in liquid crystalline solutions as a function of the solvent polarity and polarizability. The nature of spectral shift was investigated by studying the absorption spectra of the dye in different solvents. The spectral shifts were correlated by the solvent polarity and polarizability. As a result, the solvent polarity has no large and regular effect on the spectral behavior of the dye, and thus it might be considered as a poor solvatochromic dye. In contrast, an excellent linear correlation was observed between the solvent polarizability and the spectral properties of the dye, and therefore, this dye might be considered as a good indicator for measuring the solvent polarizability. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the dye were investigated in nematic solvents with high birefringence. In nematic solvents, anisotropy of polarizability has a major contribution to the shaping of the absorbance and emission spectra of OX1.

Chemical and biological caging effects on the relaxation of a proton-transfer dye

We report studies of the interaction between a proton-transfer dye (1'-hydroxy,2'-acetonaphthone, HAN), with the human serum albumin (HSA) protein and a beta-cyclodextrin derivative (DM-beta-CD) in neutral water solutions. We used steady-state and picosecond time-resolved emission spectroscopy to follow the structural changes of HAN due to the hydrophobicity and confinement effect of these nanocavities. Upon encapsulation, the fluorescence intensity of the 1:1 inclusion complex in both cavities increases, and the emission lifetimes become longer. For the DM-beta-CD complexes, we obtained 430 and 920 ps, whereas for the HSA complexes we obtained 630 ps and 2 ns. Picosecond anisotropy measurements show strong confinement due to protein docking. The rotational time for the CD complex is 660 ps, whereas for the protein complex we find 6 ns. The process of energy transfer from the excited triptophan 214 (Trp214) of HSA to the trapped HAN occurs with high efficiency (71%), and the calculated distance between both chromophores is 17 A. We believe that the results are important for a better understanding of the processes occurring in inclusion complexes such as those in nanopharmacodynamics.

Effect of glycyrrhizic acid on lappaconitine phototransformation

1H NMR and CIDNP methods were used to demonstrate that triterpene glycoside (glycyrrhizic acid, GA) can substantially change the efficiency and direction of phototransformation of alkaloid lappaconitine (LA) due to both its solubilization in GA micelles and protonation of LA amine nitrogen in water-alcohol solutions. The LA solubilization in the GA micelle suppresses the process of deacylation.

Effect of cyclodextrin nanocavity confinement on the photophysics of a beta-carboline analogue: a spectroscopic study

Interaction of a beta-carboline based biologically active molecule, 3-acetyl-4-oxo-6,7-dihydro-12H indolo-[2,3-a] quinolizine (AODIQ), with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins (CDs) in aqueous solution has been studied using steady state and time-resolved fluorescence and steady-state fluorescence anisotropy techniques. Polarity dependent intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process is responsible for the remarkable sensitivity of this biological fluorophore to the CD environments. Upon encapsulation, the CT fluorescence exhibits hypsochromic shift along with enhancements in the fluorescence yield, fluorescence anisotropy (r), and fluorescence lifetime. The reduction in the nonradiative deactivation rate of the fluorophore within the CD nanocavities leads to an increase in both fluorescence yield and lifetime. Among the three CDs, gamma-CD shows the most spectacular confinement effect. The results establish the formation of 1:1 AODIQ:CD inclusion complexes in alpha- and beta-CDs. In aqueous gamma-CD solutions, however, depending on the concentration of the gamma-CD, formation of both 1:1 and 1:2 complexes have been revealed. Hydrodynamic radii of the 1:1 and 1:2 probe-gamma-CD supramolecular complexes have also been determined.

Excited-State Proton Transfer from Pyranine to Acetate in γ-Cyclodextrin and Hydroxypropyl γ-Cyclodextrin

Excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) from pyranine (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate, HPTS) to acetate has been studied by picosecond and femtosecond emission spectroscopy in gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) and 2-hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD) cavities. In both the CDs, ESPT from HPTS to acetate is found to be very much slower (90 and 200 ps) than that in bulk water (0.15 and 6 ps). From molecular modeling, it is shown that in the cyclodextrin cavity the acetate is separated from the OH group of HPTS by water bridges. As a result, proton transfer in the cavity requires rearrangement of the hydrogen-bond network involving the cyclodextrin. This is responsible for the marked slowdown of ESPT. ESPT of HPTS in substituted gamma-CD is found to be slower than that in the unsubstituted one. This is attributed to the hydroxypropyl groups, which prevent close approach of acetate to HPTS.

Kinetic Study for the Inclusion Complex of Carboxylic Acids with Cyclodextrin by the Ultrasonic Relaxation Method

Ultrasonic absorption coefficients in the frequency range of 0.8-95 MHz were measured in aqueous solutions containing both beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) (host) and butanoic acid (in its dissociated form and undissociated one) (guest). A single relaxational phenomenon was observed only when the solutes were coexisting, although no relaxation was found in the beta-CD solution or in the acid solutions. The absorption was also measured in a solution of pentanoic acid (dissociated form) with beta-CD, and single relaxation was detected. The ultrasonic relaxation observed in these solutions was due to a perturbation of a chemical equilibrium related to a reaction of an inclusion complex formed by the host and guest. The equilibrium constant was obtained from the dependence of the maximum absorption per wavelength on the guest concentration. The rate constant for the inclusion process of the guest into a cavity of beta-CD and that for the leaving process from the cavity were determined from the obtained relaxation frequency and the equilibrium constant. The standard volume change of the reaction was also computed from the maximum absorption per wavelength. These results were compared with those in solutions containing both beta-CD and different guest molecules. It was found that the hydrophobicity of guest molecules played an important role in the formation of the inclusion complex and also that the charge on the carboxylic group had a considerable effect on the kinetic characteristics of the complexation reaction.

Ultrafast Electron Transfer in a Nanocavity. Dimethylaniline to Coumarin Dyes in Hydroxypropyl γ-Cyclodextrin

Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) to four coumarin dyes (C151, C481, C153, and C480) inside the cavity of hydroxypropyl gamma-cyclodextrin (hpCD) is studied using femtosecond upconversion. The rate of PET is found to be nonexponential and to vary significantly with the coumarin dyes. The rate for C481 is 100 times faster than that for C480. The PET rate displays a bell-shaped dependence on the free energy change and thus reveals a Marcus-type inverted region. The anisotropy decay of the four dyes in hpCD are found to be very similar, and hence the observed variation in the rate of PET is not due to variation in rotational diffusion of the acceptors (coumarin dyes).

Cyclodextrin Cavity Size Effect on the Complexation and Rotational Dynamics of the Laser Dye 2,5-Diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole: From Singly Occupied Complexes to Their Nanotubular Self-Assemblies

The general complexation scheme as well as the dynamic features of the supramolecular structures resulting from the interaction of the laser dye 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PPD) with the naturally occurring alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins in water are studied by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, both steady-state (SS) and time-resolved (TR). PPD interacts weakly, from a thermodynamic point of view, with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), forming 1:1 complexes with an association constant of K(11) = 85 +/- 4 M(-1). However, the local motion of the substrate (PPD) with respect to the ligand (CD) in the complexed form is hindered; namely, dynamically, they are strongly coupled and only a global tumbling motion, = 370 +/- 30 ps, of the whole adduct is observed. The next homologue beta-CD also forms 1:1 entities with PPD, but although the binding strength of reactants (K(11) = 682 +/- 60 M(-1)) is almost an order of magnitude greater than the former case with the alpha-CD, these are dynamically weakly coupled. In fact, two independent motions are detected: one is that of the whole nanostructure motion (1:1, PPD/beta-CD) with a global rotational relaxation time of = 480 +/- 30 ps, and the other is an internal librational motion of the dye inside the host cavity with an average angular displacement of theta approximately 27 degrees . Finally, the interaction of PPD with the wider and more flexible cavity of the gamma-CD "triggers" a self-associative scheme of the initially formed supramolecular building blocks, namely, singly occupied complexes, leading to the formation of nanotubular superstructures. It is found that these linear arrays are constituted from more than 17 gamma-CD units which are held together with the aid of dimers of PPD. Interestingly, our results supported that two distinct dimeric forms of PPD play the role of the "shaft" between adjacent cyclodextrin units. The topology of the dimers in the interlinking space of gamma-CD units is such that PPD molecules are held in suitable proximity, resulting, upon excitation, in the observation of dual excimer emission.

Photoinduced intermolecular electron transfer from dimethyl aniline to 7-amino coumarin dyes in the surface of beta-cyclodextrin

The photoinduced electron-transfer reaction between Coumarin dyes and N,N-dimethylaniline has been investigated using steady-state and Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in the surface of beta-cyclodextrin in dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent. The electron-transfer rate constant has been correlated with the free-energy change during the process. We have observed a diffusion-controlled ET process in pure DMF by showing a normal Marcus region. However, the picture is different in presence of cyclodextrin. Here the ET is retarded at higher free-energy region. This unusual feature in bimolecular electron-transfer reaction is assumed to be arising from the different binding possibility of the Coumarin molecules to the cyclodextrin moity.

Fluorescence Anisotropy Decay and Solvation Dynamics in a Nanocavity: Coumarin 153 in Methyl β-Cyclodextrins

Fluorescence anisotropy decay and solvation dynamics of coumarin 153 (C153) are studied in dimethyl beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB) and trimethyl beta-cyclodextrin (TRIMEB) nanocavity in water. C153 binds to DIMEB and TRIMEB to form both 1:1 and 1:2 (C153:cyclodextrin) complexes. The anisotropy decays of C153 in DIMEB and TRIMEB are found to be biexponential. The fast component of anisotropy decay (approximately 1000 ps) is attributed to the 1:1 complex and the slower one (approximately 2500 ps) to the 1:2 complex. From the components of the anisotropy decay, the length of the 1:1 and 1:2 complexes are estimated. Solvation dynamics of C153 in DIMEB exhibits a very fast (2.4 ps) component (41%) and two slower components of 50 ps (29%) and 1450 ps (30%). Solvation dynamics in TRIMEB is described by three slow components of 10.3 ps (24%), 240 ps (45%), and 2450 ps (31%). Possible origins of the ultraslow components are discussed.

Effect of Nanocavity Confinement on the Relaxation of Anesthetic Analogues: Relevance to Encapsulated Drug Photochemistry

We report on UV-vis absorption and picosecond emission studies of methyl 2-amino-4,5-dimethoxy benzoate in neutral water and complexed to alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin (CD). Upon encapsulation, the emission intensity and the fluorescence lifetime increase, indicating a hydrophobic effect of the nanocages on the photophysical behavior of the guest. beta-CD confinement shows the largest effect. The time-dependent frequency shift of the emission (approximately 720 cm(-1)) in beta-CD nanocavity is larger than the one observed in water (approximately 490 cm(-1)) due to the hydrophobic and polarity effect of the nanocage and reflects a strengthening of the intramolecular H-bond of the encapsulated dye upon electronic excitation. Anisotropy measurements indicate a free motion of the guest into the nanocavity. The observed results are relevant to the hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic interactions which govern photochemistry and photophysics of caged drugs, organic, and biological systems.

Temperature Dependence of Anisotropy Decay and Solvation Dynamics of Coumarin 153 in γ-Cyclodextrin Aggregates

Effect of temperature on the fluorescence anisotropy decay and the ultraslow component of solvation dynamics of coumarin 153 (C153) in a gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) nanocavity are studied using a picosecond set up. The steady-state anisotropy (0.13 +/- 0.01) and residual anisotropy (0.14 +/- 0.01) in fluorescence anisotropy decay in an aqueous solution containing 7 microM C153 and 40 mM gamma-CD are found to be quite large. This indicates formation of large linear nanotube aggregates of gamma-CD linked by C153. It is estimated that >53 gamma-CD units are present in each aggregate. In these aggregates with rise in temperature, the average solvation time (<tau(s)>(obs)) decreases markedly from 680 ps at 278 K to 160 ps at 318 K. The dynamic Stokes shift is found to decrease from 800 cm(-1) at 278 K to 250 cm(-1) at 318 K. The fraction of dynamic Stokes shift (f(d)) detected in a picosecond set up is calculated using the Fee-Maroncelli procedure. The corrected solvation time (<tau(s)>(corr) = f(d)<(tau(s)>(obs)) displays an Arrhenius type temperature dependence. From the temperature variation, the activation energy and entropy of the solvation process are determined to be 12.5 kcal M(-1) and 28 cal M(-1) K(-1), respectively. The ultraslow component and its temperature dependence are ascribed to a dynamic exchange between bound and free water molecules.

Models of pesticides inside cavities of molecular dimensions. A role of the guest inclusion in the dechlorination process

The reduction mechanism of the pesticide vinclozoline (3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2,4-dione) was studied in nonaqueous solvents in the confined environment of a cyclodextrin (CD) cavity. The effect of the cavity dimensions on the mechanism of the redox process was evaluated using glucose as a reference and using three cyclodextrin molecules of different cavity sizes, namely, alphaCD, betaCD, and gammaCD. In the absence of CD the main reduction product of vinclozoline in the first reduction step is dichloroaniline. An addition of glucose leads to a quantitative change of mechanism with 10 products in total. Addition of CD, however, leads exclusively to dechlorination of the phenyl ring. The degree of dechlorination depends strongly on the choice of cyclodextrin molecule. The importance of the complex formation equilibria in the change of the mechanism is supported by a series of semiempirical AM1 quantum-mechanical calculations. Very good correlation (correlation coefficient 0.995) was obtained between the complex stabilization energy of the inclusion complex and the degree of pesticide dechlorination. Additionally, we were able to show that the complexes are stabilized by the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the host and guest species. CD molecules do not simply act as proton donors in a nonaqueous environment, but also protect parts of the molecule included within the cavity and steer the degradation process toward fewer products.

Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic study on complexation of Oxazine 1 Dye by calix[8]arenesulfonate

It has been established by combined absorption and fluorescence measurements that the cationic dye Oxazine 1 (OX) and the polyvalent anionic host calix[8]arenesulfonate (SCA8) form two complexes in simultaneous reactions: OX + SCA8 <--> OX.SCA8 (1), and OX.SCA8 + OX <--> OX(2).SCA8 (2). The equilibrium constants for the two reactions, as functions of the ionic strength (I), and the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the two complex species have been determined by a least-squares fitting method from the experimental data. The variations of the binding constants with the ionic strength could be described on the basis of Debye-Huckel theory. The equilibrium constants are large; their values extrapolated to I = 0 are K(1) = 5.5 x 10(6) M(-1) and K(2) = 4.4 x 10(5) M(-1). The fluorescence of OX undergoes a strong static quenching upon complexation. These results indicate that the complexes are held together by strong electrostatic forces. The addition of non-fluorescent tetramethylammonium chloride to OX-SCA8 mixtures results in a dramatic fluorescent enhancement, which demonstrates the potential applicability of this supramolecular system in fluorescence assays.

Synthesis of a novel host molecule of cross-linking-polymeric-beta-cyclodextrin-o-vanillin furfuralhydrazone and spectrofluorimetric analysis of its identifying cadmium

A novel host inclusion complex of cross-linking-polymeric-beta-cyclodextrin-o-vanillin furfuralhydrazone (beta-CDP-OVFH) was synthesized and characterized with IR and 1H NMR spectra to confirm its structure. The coordination reaction of the host reagent with Cd(2+) was studied and the optimum reacting conditions were observed carefully. A highly selective and sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amount of cadmium was proposed based on the reaction of Cd(2+) with beta-CDP-OVFH in ammonia water-ammonium acetate buffer medium of pH = 11.0. The molar ratio of beta-CDP-OVFH to Cd(2+) was 1:1. The maximum excitation and emission wavelengths were 393 and 494 nm, respectively. The linear range of this method was from 3.0 to 500 microg l(-1) with a detection limit of 0.80 microg l(-1). The effect of interferences in the determination of cadmium was investigated and the results showed that the host reagent had quite high capacity of identifying Cd(2+). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of trace amount of Cd(2+) in mussel and tea samples.