Cyclodextrins, reflected

Chemists love to tinker with cyclodextrins (CDs)—macrocyclic daisy chains of glucose molecules that feature a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrophilic exterior. They've been used to encapsulate drugs, in air fresheners to sop up smelly molecules , and in water purification systems to capture and destroy micropollutants. Now, more than 130 years after their discovery, CDs are finally getting a glimpse of their mirror image. For the first time, chemists have synthesized L-CDs using the unnatural sugar L-glucose. University of Hong Kong's J. Fraser Stoddart led the work. His team created 500 mg quantities of α-, β-, and γ-L-cyclodextrins, which have 6, 7, and 8 sugar units, respectively, via synthetic routes of 8 steps or fewer ( Nat. Synth. 2024, DOI: 10.1038/s44160-024-00495-8 ). "We think it's a fundamental addition to the cyclodextrin toolbox. It may take time for us to see some really unique applications," says Yong Wu, a postdoctoral