Association of Inclusion Compounds of β-Cyclodextrin in Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Abstract Inclusion compounds in the systems naphthalene–β-cyclodextrin (CDx) and 2-methoxynaphthalene (MN)–o-dicyanobenzene (DB)–β-cyclodextrin in aqueous solution were studied by means of absorption and fluorescence spectra. In the former system a naphthalene excimer fluorescence was observed. By the analyses of the concentration dependence of the absorption spectra and the excimer fluorescence intensities, the species responsible for the excimer fluorescence is identified as a 2:2 inclusion compound which is formed by association of two 1:1 naphthalene–CDx inclusion compounds, not a 2:1 inclusion compound in which two naphthalene molecules enter into the cavity of one CDx molecule. In the latter system, absorption and fluorescence spectra due to a charge transfer complex of MN with DB were observed. By analyses similar to the naphthalene case, the existence of a 1:1:2 association compound formed between a MN–CDx inclusion compound and a DB–CDx inclusion compound is confirmed. Fluorescence quenching by I− and IO3− was also studied for the inclusion compounds in both systems.