Mechanical capture, protection and interconversion of cyclodextrins in redox-responsive enzyme-catalysed dynamic combinatorial libraries.

Redox-controlled rotaxane formation can be employed as a novel strategy for cyclodextrin interconversion via a process of template-directed enzymatic synthesis, mechanical capture and release. Mechanical bonds are shown to protect cyclodextrins from hydolysis by α-amylase and cyclodextrin glucanotransferase, facilitating rotaxane isolation and enabling size-selective separation of cyclodextrins via reversible rotaxane formation.