NMR Investigation of the complexation of (S)-2-isopropyl- 1-(o-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)aziridine with -cyclodextrin

Abstract

 Aziridines are known to undergo hydrolysis in the presence of cyclodextrins, whereas the latter are largely investigated as potential vectors of biologically active compounds. Despite this easy cyclodextrin-induced cleavage of aziridines in aqueous medium, it was of interest to find out a model aziridine derivative that would be sufficiently water-stable and form a stable complex with b-cyclodextrin in aqueous medium, so that it could be used as a reference in future formulations or vectorization work. Among compounds we have investigated, we found out that only (S)-2-isopropyl-1-(o-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)aziridine complied with the above-mentioned solubility and stability requirements. NMR studies of the inclusion complex of this derivative with b-cyclodextrin provided useful parameters related to the stoichiometry of the complex and the association constant Ka. The geometry of the complex was assessed by 2D-ROESY experiments, suggesting a deep insertion of the aziridine into the cavity of b-cyclodextrin.