Molecular recognition and potentiometric determination of neostigmine and pyridostigmine by a methylene-bridged naphthotube†
Abstract
A macrocyclic arene featuring rigid bis-naphthalene possesses a remarkable ability to strongly bind neostigmine (Ka = 2.7 × 104 M−1) and pyridostigmine (Ka = 2.2 × 105 M−1) within its deep cavity. This facilitates the host as a potential ionophore for the potentiometric determination of neostigmine and pyridostigmine with low detection limits of 1.0 μM, highlighting its promising applications in pharmaceutical analysis.