Influence of self-assembly of amphiphilic imidazolium ionic liquids on their host-guest complexes with cucurbit[n]urils

Two symmetric amphiphilic imidazolium ionic liquids having ω-undecenyl chains form supramolecular complexes with CB[7] and CB[8] in water as revealed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-MS. Binding constants in the range 10 ⁴ to 10 ⁵ M ^-1 were estimated from the conductivity measurements for the 1:1 complexes of these imidazolium ionic liquids with CB[7] and CB[8]. Radical initiated polymerization of these host-guest complexes at concentrations above the critical self-assembly concentration of imidazolium ionic liquids to form liposomes, destroys completely (CB[7]) or partially (CB[8]) the host-guest ionic liquid@CB[n] complex; this behaviour was proved by titration with acridine orange tricyclic dye, of CB[n]s in the colloidal solutions of the liposomes before and after performing dialysis to remove free CB[n]s. Thus, the increase in the fluorescence emission of acridine orange by CB[7] is not observed if the polymerized ionic liquid@CB[7] complex is submitted to dialysis to remove uncomplexed CB[7]. Analogous study by titration of absorbance change of acridine orange solutions caused by CB[8], reveals only a partial destruction of the host-guest complex by self-assembly of amphiphilic ionic liquid above the critical self-assembly concentration. The results obtained have been rationalized considering that the driving force for the formation of supramolecular ionic liquid@CB[n] complexes is a hydrophobic interaction between the apolar alkenyl chain and the cucurbituril interior cavity and that these hydrophobic interactions are disturbed when self-assembly leading to liposomes occurs.