Molecular Recognition Studies on Supramolecular Systems. 29. Anilino- and m-Toluidino-β-Cyclodextrins: Structural and Conformational Analyses and Molecular Recognition of Aliphatic Alcohols

Mono(6-anilino-6-deoxy)-β-cydodextrin (1) and mono[6-(m-toluidino)-6-deoxy]-β-cyclodextrin (2) were synthesized and characterized. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectral studies and fluorescence lifetime measurements have been performed to elucidate the conformations of 1 and 2 in aqueous buffer solution. 1-D and 2-D NMR spectra of 2 have been measured in D₂O to deduce its structure and detailed conformation in solution. From the circular dichroism, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopic studies, it was revealed that the substituents appended to 1 and 2 penetrate into the cyclodextrin cavity forming a stable self-inclusion complex in aqueous solution, and also that the short linkage between the m-toluidino and cyclodextrin moieties makes the cyclodextrin ring of 2 deformed to some extent The complex stability constants (K_S) of 1 and 2 for a series of aliphatic alcohols have been determined by using spectropolarimetric titrations in aqueous phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.20) at 25°C to elucidate the role of introduced substituents and the weak interactions involved in inclusion complexation by the modified cyclodextrins. The results obtained indicate that the van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions mainly contribute to the formation of complexes between the cyclodextrins and aliphatic alcohols, and the inclusion complexation process involves the induced-fit mechanism. Modified β-cyclodextrin 2 can recognize not only the size, shape, and hydrophobicity of the guest molecules, but also chiral guests, affording a moderate enantioselectivity of 1.55 for (+)/(-)-borneol.