The binding behavior of cyclodextrins toward a nitroxide spin probe in the presence of different alcohols as studied by EPR

Stability constants, rates of association and dissociation, and thermodynamic and activation parameters for the formation of inclusion complexes between the radical guest, N-benzyl- tert-butyl- d 9-nitroxide and beta- or 2,6- O-dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CDs), have been determined by EPR spectroscopy in water in the presence of 14 different alcohols, differing in size and lipophilicity. In all cases, it was found that addition of alcohol, depending on its structure and concentration, causes a reduction of the stability of the paramagnetic complex. Global analysis of EPR data allowed us to explain the CDs binding behavior: we discarded the formation of a ternary complex, where alcohol and radical guest are coincluded into CD cavity, while data were found more consistent with the formation of a binary complex alcohol:CD competing with the monitored complex nitroxide:CD. Both kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of the experimental results have revealed that the presence of alcohols affects to a larger extent the dissociation rather then the association of radical probe and CD and that the former process is of greater importance in determining the stability of the complex, this confirming the reliability of the competition model proposed. This competition has been used for the indirect determination of the stability constants of complexes between CD and examined alcohols. By using a similar approach, we showed EPR spectroscopy can be considered a rapid and accurate technique to investigate the CDs binding behavior toward different nonradical guest.