The enhancement of fluorescence quantum yields of anilino naphthalene sulfonic acids by inclusion of various cyclodextrins and cucurbit[7]uril

The association constants (K) for the inclusion complexation of four kinds of cyclodextrins (CDs (β- and γ-), 2,6-di-O-methylated β-CD, and 2,3,6-tri-O-methylated β-CD) and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) with 1,8- and 2,6-anilinonaphthalene sulfonic acids (ANSs) were determined from fluorescence spectra enhanced by inclusion. Various CDs and CB[7] form stable 1:1 inclusion complexes with 1,8- and 2,6-ANSs: K=80-11700 M(-1) for 2,6-ANS and 50-195 M(-1) for 1,8-ANS. The high stability of the inclusion complexes of 2,6-ANS with CB[7] and 2,6-di-O-methylated β-CD is shown. Further, we determined the fluorescence quantum yields (Φ values) for the inclusion complexes of ANSs by using a fluorescence spectrophotometer equipped with a half-moon unit. The Φ values of 1,8- and 2,6-ANSs were largely enhanced by the inclusion of methylated β-CDs and did not correlate with the degree of stability (K) of the inclusion complexes. We characterized the structures of the inclusion complexes by 2D ROESY-NMR measurements. In addition, the microenvironmental polarity inside the hydrophobic CD and CB[7] cavities was evaluated using the fluorescence probe 2,6-ANS. Based on the emission mechanism and the aspect of inclusion in a hydrophobic cavity, we have suggested that the microenvironmental polarity and viscosity for the excited state of ANS plays an important role for the Φ values of inclusion complexes.

Inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins with nitroxide-based spin probes in aqueous solutions

Formation of inclusion complexes between several cyclodextrin derivatives and TEMPO and DOXYL-based spin probes was studied by EPR spectroscopy. Competition between alkyl chains and nitroxide functionalities for cyclodextrin cavities leads to different types of complexation. Long alkyl chains in amphiphilic spin probes interact preferentially with cyclodextrins, and TEMPO units in such molecules are unaffected by complexation. DOXYL-type spin probes however form stronger complexes with cyclodextrins; this complexation changes hyperfine splitting and tumbling rate of the nitroxide group. Comparison of EPR spectra of free cyclodextrin and cyclodextrin-based polymeric nanocapsules made it possible to assess the tumbling of the spin probe inside the cyclodextrin units without the contribution of the tumbling of the whole complex.