Facile synthesis of a diverse library of mono-3-substituted β-cyclodextrin analogues

Substituted cyclodextrins (CDs) have many applications, but synthetic challenges have limited the derivatives that can routinely be accessed. In particular, although there is considerable interest in selective derivatization at the 2- and 3-hydroxyls on the secondary face, since bulky guest molecules are most likely to project through this larger aperture, syntheses of such derivatives have required arduous procedures that afford poor yields, limiting their accessibility and utility. We address this challenge via synthetic strategies that allow facile creation of diverse libraries of water-soluble mono-3-substituted-β-cyclodextrins, via the commercially available mono-3-amino-β-cyclodextrin. The power of these strategies is confirmed through synthesis of twenty water-soluble cyclodextrin analogues with amide, thioureas or urea linkers, using one-pot reactions producing ≥55% yields and purifications that do not require chromatography. This work opens new possibilities for the design of selective host molecules for use in supramolecular chemistry, chemical separations, pharmaceutical formulations, and calibration of molecular simulations.