Cyclodextrin-based Combinatorial Polymers: Efficient Binders of Pharmaceuticals in Water

Abstract

Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligomers of glucose; they are widely used in a large range of industrial applications because of their molecular inclusion properties. We used cyclodextrins to prepare different libraries of polymers and tested their ability to selectively recognize pharmaceuticals in water. It was demonstrated that the chemical composition of the polymer strongly influences its binding properties. The developed strategy can be used to produce selective sorbent nanomaterials of pharmaceuticals.