The Effect of Methylated Cyclodextrins on the Morphological Change of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) with and without the Formation of Inclusion Complex

The possible interactions between cyclodextrins and biodegradable polyesters were investigated. The hydrophobicity of cyclodextrin could be varied with the methyl substitution of host CD, and the possibility of IC formation and the types of interaction between respective CDs and polyesters were subsequently changed. Further, the effect of cyclodextrins on the morphological change of biodegradable polymer was shown to depend on the degree of IC formation between cyclodextrin and biodegradable polymer as well as on the type of interaction between respective CDs and polyesters. That is, the enhancement and/or the restriction of the crystallization of P(3HB) were observed by the incorporation of various kind of cyclodextrins with different cavity size and hydrophobicity.