Binding of Benzyltrimethylammonium Bromide and its Alkyldimethylbenzylammonium Homologues by β-Cyclodextrin in Water

Abstract

The binding constants, K′, for the reaction between some alkyldimethylbenzylammonium bromide homologues (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, hexyl, decyl, and dodecyl, respectively) and β-cyclodextrin in water at 25.0 ± 0.1 ∘C have been determined, by applying the spectral displacement technique with phenolphthalein as the displacing anion. It has been shown that the ln K′ values increase linearly with the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain for the salts whose alkyl chain has at least four carbon atoms. The ln K′ values estimated for the parent compound benzyltrimetylammonium bromide and its two nearest homologues are distinctly lower than might be expected by extrapolation of the linear relation found for the higher homologues. Assuming that it is the organic cation that undergoes association with β-cyclodextrin, then one may suppose that a change occurs in the mode of inclusion of the cation upon passing to higher homologues. In the case of the lighter homologues, it is the phenylene group that undergoes inclusion. This model of inclusion is confirmed by analysis of rotating-frame overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY) spectra.