A structural and thermal investigation of the inclusion of parabens in heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)cyclomaltoheptaose.

The structures of the inclusion complexes formed by heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)cyclomaltoheptaose and methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl parabens have been solved and analysed by X-ray diffraction. Each inclusion complex crystallises in the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with Z=4 and a host-to-guest ratio of 1:1. However the packing arrangements and modes of guest inclusion are not equivalent for the four structures. The analytical data indicated that two isostructural pairs, the methyl- and ethyl-paraben complexes, have similar cell parameters that differ from those of the propyl- and butyl paraben complexes. The results of thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry of the complexes are also reported.