MOLECULAR RECOGNITION - PREPARATION OF POLYROTAXAN AND TUBULAR POLYMER FROM CYCLODEXTRIN

We found that many alpha-CDs are threaded on a poly(ethylene glycol) ( PEG) chain to farm a crystalline complex in high yields, although beta -CD did not form complexes with PEG. It was mane clear that the relati onship between the chain cross-sectional areas of the polymers and the diameters of the cavities of cyclodextrins is very important in the c omplex formation of polymers and cyclodextrins. Polyrotaxanes were pre pared by the reaction of PEG-bisamine (PEGBA), which is PEG with amino groups in both ends, with 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene. In addition, t he molecular tubes, a new family of novel nanostructures, were prepare d and characterized. These findings indicate that such template synthe sis provides a new approach to construct new nanostructures, which may have implications for molecular technologies and materials science (C ) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.