(383b) Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds for Novel Polymer Self-Assembly

The existence of tunable interactions in polymer solutions gives the ability to control the rheological properties which plays a key role in the applications. For example, hydrophobically modified water soluble polymers (HMP) have been received considerable interests and numerous applications as rheology modifiers in paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foods, enhanced oil recovery, water treatment and controlled release of bioactive materials because the hydrophobic interactions and thus the solution viscosity are easily controllable by several ways, such as the polymer structure, molecular weight, concentration, the type of hydrophobic groups and the additions of salt, surfactant or cyclodextrin.

Similar to hydrophobic association, the inclusion or host-guest interaction between cyclodextrins and hydrophobic groups is another reversible physical interaction which can be used to modulate polymer solutions. The internal cavity of CD is hydrophobic and can accommodate suitable hydrophobic groups driven by a non-covalent interaction to form inclusion complex. If CDs are grafted in polymer chains, novel polymer networks can be generated by this kind of host-guest interactions between polymers with hydrophobe and CD side-groups.

In contrast to purely hydrophobically modified polymer association the complexes have a distinct stoichiometry and an unusual temperature dependence.