Synthesis and molecular recognition properties of a novel chemical modified β-cyclodextrin

A new fluorescent chemosensor, a kind of β-cyclodextrin (CD) modified with N' N-dimethylamino-chalcone, was synthesized. The photophysical behavior and the molecular recognition of this compound were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show that there exists an in-out movement of appended chalcone group from cyclodextrin cavity for large dimension guest molecule such as 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid. But the long-chained guests such as cationic surfactants can be inserted into the CD cavity as a spacer to form a ternary inclusion complex with the CD cavity and the chalcone moiety.