Polyrotaxane hexagonal microfiber

Abstract

The proliferation of α-cyclodextrin (CD)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hexagonal unit cells on a micrometer scale was investigated by recrystallizing the α-CD/PEG inclusion complex in water. It was observed that the yield of an inclusion complex formation between PEG and α-CD depends on the molecular weight of the PEG. The hexagonal fibers with 2μm in side and larger than 5μm in height were formed after the recrystallization. The hexagonal microfiber was also confirmed for the inclusion complex recrystallized in the deionized water.