Monosubstituted Cyclodextrins as Precursors for Further Use

Cyclodextrin derivatives find use in a broad field of applications (e.g., nanomaterials, biomedical applications, catalysis, separation techniques, sensors etc.), with monosubstitution allowing cyclodextrins to be attached to various types of surfaces or for a new feature to be introduced onto a cyclodextrin skeleton (recognition, catalysis,...). Although an enormous number of monosubstituted cyclodextrin derivatives have been synthesised, this review focuses only on the synthesis of several interesting monosubstituted derivatives (allyl, cinnamyl, propargyl, formylmethyl, carboxymethyl, azido and amino) suitable for further modifications. These derivatives allow the synthesis of an unlimited number of desired cyclodextrin derivatives. Using a cyclodextrin derivative already monosubstituted with a suitable functional group is much easier than the optimisation of monosubstitution for every new cyclodextrin derivative desired.