Complexation Thermodynamics of Cucurbit[6]uril with Aliphatic Alcohols, Amines, and Diamines

Abstract

Using the isothermal calorimetric titration technique, we determined the stability constants (K), reaction enthalpy (ΔH°), and entropy (ΔS°) for complexation of cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) with a series of aliphatic alcohols, mono- and diamines, as well as spermidine and spermine, in aqueous solutions of alkali metal chlorides. The K for spermine reached 5.4 × 10¹⁰ M^− 1 in 0.2 M LiCl, which is the largest amongst the values reported for CB[6]. Propylamine forms the strongest 1:1 complex with CB[6] (K = 21000 M^− 1) in 0.1 M Na acetate buffer, which is driven exclusively by entropy. A comparison of K for 1,3-propanediamine versus 1,4-butanediamine reveals an extraordinary >60000-fold enhancement in affinity, which is the largest increment/CH₂ ever observed in supramolecular chemistry. The present results in combination with our ESI-MS data reported recently unambiguously demonstrate that CB[6] exists in aqueous solution of alkali metal salts exclusively as a dicationic species, e.g. [CB[6]·2Na]²⁺.

Keywords:

• Complex stability
• Cucurbit[6]uril
• Calorimetry
• Alkanol
• Alkylamine
• Alkanediamine