Modification of β-cyclodextrin with itaconic acid and application of the new derivative to cotton fabrics

β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) is capable of forming inclusion complexes but cannot form a direct covalent bond with textile materials; hence, some cyclodextrin derivatives have been synthesised with reactive groups to allow them to chemically bind to various substrates. In this study, β-CD was modified with itaconic acid containing carboxyl and vinyl groups because this bifunctional compound can be attached to β-CD via the esterification reaction and because its vinyl group can perform free-radical polymerisation. The synthesised cyclodextrin itaconate was characterised using elemental and thermal analyses, solubility testing and NMR, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the impact of the grafting of this vinyl monomer on the performance of cotton fabric was investigated. The presence of anchored CD nanoparticles on the surface of the fibres was demonstrated by using SEM and FTIR as well as the ability of the attached CDs to form inclusion complexes.

► Cyclodextrin itaconate (CDI) as a reactive derivative of β-CD was synthesised.
► The structure of this reactive β-CD was characterised and investigated.
► CDI has been chemically bonded on the cotton surface via graft copolymerisation.
► This modification showed no negative effect on the cotton fabrics’ performance.
► The nanoparticles cavities on cellulose are accessible to molecular encapsulation.