Construction of β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gel and the effect of metal ions on its formation

As a natural cyclic oligosaccharide , β-Cyclodextrin with cavity structure has excellent water solubility and biocompatibility , which makes it highly valuable in the field of supramolecular self-assembly. Although the self-assembly of β-Cyclodextrin into supramolecular gels has been reported by our group, the impact of metal ions on β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gels has not yet been studied. Herein, a β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gel was prepared firstly and then the effects of six different metal ions on this gel system were investigated systematically. It was found that tubular stacking induced by hydrogen bond is the main driving force for the self-assembly of β-Cyclodextrin into β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gels. Moreover, the introduction of metal ions did not hinder the formation of β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gels. On the contrary, the metal coordination interaction between metal ions and β-Cyclodextrin stabilized the tubular stacking state of β-Cyclodextrin, thereby promoting the formation of β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gels. This research not only deepens the study of β-Cyclodextrin supramolecular gels but also lays a solid foundation for their application in intelligent materials, drug delivery, and ion channels, among other fields.