Spectroscopic study on binding behaviors of different structural nonionic surfactants to cyclodextrins.

The binding of polyethylene glycol (10) n-octylphenyl ether (OPE) and polyethylene glycol (10) tert-octylphenyl ether (Triton X-100, TX) to beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and heptakis(2,3- beta-dimethyl)- beta-CD (DM- beta-CD) was described in detail by surface tension, steady-state fluorescence of OPE and TX, and phosphorescence of 1-bromonaphthalene (BN) probe. Surface tension and fluorescence measurements show that beta-CD entraps the hydrophobic moieties of OPE and TX to form inclusion complexes with the stoichiometry of 1:1. Unlike the n-octyl group of OPE, however, the tert-octyl group of TX fails to be encapsulated into the cavity of DM- beta-CD because of the steric hindrance of methyl groups at the rim of the cavity. The inclusion of the phenyl group of OPE and TX was demonstrated by dynamic quenching effect of iodide ion on fluorescence of OPE and TX in the presence of beta-CD. Static fluorescence quenching of OPE and TX by BN, phosphorescence of BN, and energy transfer between TX and BN provide additional evidence for the inclusion of their phenyl groups into the CD cavity. Analyses of molecular size suggest that the longer tert-octyl group of OPE is situated in curled manner in the cavity and the tert-octyl group of TX undergo a slight distortion for fit of beta-CD. Further introduction of the third guest component into the CD cavity occupied by OPE and TX will force the flexible octyl groups of OPE and TX to deform to a greater extent.