Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 8, 2022
Gas-phase complexation of α-/β-cyclodextrin with amino acids studied by ion mobility-mass spectrometry and molecular
Yinjuan Chen1, Zhicheng Zuo2, Xinhua Dai3
1School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials(iChEM), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Functional Material, Department of Chemistry and Laser Chemistry Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Abstract:
Cyclodextrins (CDs) are a class of macrocyclic molecules that have exhibited many promising applications in various fields. The knowledge of the complexation modes and recognition mechanisms of CDs with their guests are of paramount importance for rational design of more variants with controlled properties. Herein we investigated the binding conformations and the structural characteristics of α-/β-CD with three amino acids (AA, AA=Gly, L-Leu, L-Phe) in the gas phase by a combined experimental and computational approach. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry suggested the formation of 1:1 anionic complexes between CDs and AAs and the complex anions were further identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, ion mobility-mass spectrometry experiments revealed the inclusion complexation adopted for [α-CD+Gly]- as well as β-CD with either amino acid, whereas [α-CD+Leu]- and [α-CD+Phe]- favored an exclusion conformation, indicating size-dependent binding modes. The association is primarily driven by polar interactions via the formation of hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the relative dynamic stabilities of the complex ions were observed to be in correlation with the gas-phase basicities of the deprotonated amino acid and CD anions. These above findings are well in line with our atomistic molecular dynamics simulation results. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying CD host-guest recognition.
Related Concept Videos
Amino acids
Formation of Complex Ions
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS)
A gas chromatograph consists of a long, narrow capillary column with a polysiloxane coating on the inner wall....
Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview
One type of fragmentation pattern is the cleavage of a single bond in the molecular ion. The cleavage leads to a radical and a cation. The cleavage can occur at...
Phase II Reactions: Sulfation and Conjugation with α-Amino Acids

