A hybrid polymer derived from siloxane and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was obtained by reaction of β-CD with g-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (IPTS), followed by hydrolysis/condensation reactions, generating a β-CD-modified polysilsesquioxane resin (PSS-β-CD). PSS-β-CD hybrid was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance. This hybrid was typically amorphous and thermally stable up to 180 ºC. PSS-β-CD was able to form films and its morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The capability of β-CD grafted in the hybrid polymer to form inclusion complex was evaluated by the formation of a β-CD-phenolphthalein complex using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Even without changes in pH, the red form of phenolphthalein converts to the colorless one when PSS-β-CD is immersed in the solution. Theoretical calculations (AM1 and DFT methods) show that the complex is formed through the inclusion of the phenolate ring into β-CD cavity, favoring the colorless form of phenolphthalein by more than 15 kcal mol-1.
cyclodextrin; polysiloxanes; polysilsesquioxanes; inclusion complexes