Synthesis and Unprecedented Complexation Properties of β-Cyclodextrin-Based Ligand for Lanthanide Ions

Here, we report the synthesis and detailed studies on the coordination chemistry of a novel chemically modified polyaminocarboxylate (5) based on β-cyclodextrin (CD) scaffold for lanthanides. The target ligand is prepared in a highly efficient manner (seven total steps) from β-CD using the readily available iminodiacetic acid as a starting material. A propargyl group is attached to the iminodiacetate via N-alkylation, and the obtained derivative is efficiently conjugated to the β-CD scaffold via the copper(I)-mediated 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The generated 1,2,3-triazolmethyl residues advantageously provide a competent chelating group while displacing the metal coordination center away from the primary rim of β-CD, to afford the required conformational flexibility. The functional groups from each of the two adjacent glucopyranosyl units of β-CD complete a uniquely created octavalent coordination sphere for lanthanides while still sparing one site for dynamic water coordination. To help study the coordination chemistry of CD ligand 5, we also design a relevant maltoside ligand 6, which faithfully represents one submetal-binding section of ligand 5. Thanks to HRMS and NMR studies, we successfully elucidate the coordination chemistries of synthesized ligands. The octavalent coordination sphere of ligand 5 shows strong binding affinity to lanthanides. By potentiometric titration experiments, ligand 5 is found to bind gadolinium(III), forming 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 multinuclear complexes with lanthanides, thus possessing great capacity for catalyzing the dynamic water-exchange. Further NMR studies also reveal that the formed ligand 5/Gd(III) complexes show significantly better abilities to alter T1 relaxivities of coordinated water than DOTA-Gd(III) and also some of the synthetic CD probes reported in the literature.