Cyclodextrin as a Macrocyclic Monomer: Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Permethylcyclodextrins

It has been disclosed for the first time that a cyclodextrin (CD) derivative is able to act as a macrocyclic monomer for ring-opening polymerization to produce linear polyglucan. O-Permethylated α-, β-, and γ-CDs were found to be polymerizable with the aid of a cationic initiator, e.g., Et3O+PF6– in dichloromethane. Interestingly, the more strained monomer (α- > β- > γ-CD) was less reactive, which is ascribable to the characteristic shape of the CD molecule.