Design of cucurbit[6]uril-based hypercrosslinked polymers for efficient capture of albendazole

In the present study, cucurbit[6]uril-based hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) were successfully synthesized and employed for the capture of albendazole, a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements were used to prove the successful preparation of the desired HCPs. Thanks to the encapsulation of cucurbit[6]uril toward albendazole and the high surface area of HCPs, remarkable adsorption capacity of albendazole was achieved. The adsorption behavior followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm with a negative value of Gibbs free energy change, suggesting a spontaneous adsorption process. In addition, the kinetics of albendazole adsorption was investigated, which could be described with the pseudo-second-order kinetics model.