Solvent-free model for self-assembling amphiphilic cyclodextrins. An off-lattice Monte Carlo approach in two dimensions

By performing off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations in a two-dimensional space, we investigate the aggregation behavior of model Bouquet-shaped amphiphilic cyclodextrins. These molecules are able to self-assemble into a variety of supramolecular structures, such as micelles, vesicles, and long double-layered filaments. At high packing fractions, inverted micellar phases and lamellar liquid crystals have also been observed. Despite the number of approximations and restrictions imposed in our model, where the solution degrees of freedom are kept implicit and only the main physicochemical details are considered, we are able to reproduce the self-assembling behavior of amphiphilic cyclodextrins in its essential and most characteristic picture. The calculations of the cluster size distribution, density profiles, and radial distribution functions permit the characterization of the aggregates formed in the self-assembly process. © 2012 American Chemical Society.