Structure and stability of columnar cyclomaltohexaose (alpha-cyclodextrin) hydrate
Marcus A Hunt1, Cristian C Rusa, Alan E Tonelli
1Fiber and Polymer Science Program, Campus Box 8301, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8301, USA.
Abstract:
Rapid recrystallization of cyclomaltohexaose (alpha-cyclodextrin, alpha-CD) from aqueous solution resulted in formation of the columnar crystal structure of alpha-CD containing only water as the guest molecule. Complementary water vapor sorption and wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD) experiments were performed on the alpha-CD columnar structure to elucidate the crystal structure present at varying sorption levels. Equilibrium isothermal water vapor sorption experiments at 40 degrees C revealed that the alpha-CD columnar structure is unstable above a water activity of approximately 0.67. This was confirmed by WAXD diffractograms collected over time, which further revealed that alpha-CD columnar structure undergoes a phase transformation to the cage structure after approximately 0.25 h at 40 degrees C and a water activity of 1.0.
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