Building up cyclodextrins from scratch – templated enzymatic synthesis of cyclodextrins directly from maltose

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are commercially produced via enzymatic breakdown of starch or amylose. In contrast, we show that cyclodextrins can be synthesised directly from the disaccharide maltose in good yields by exploiting the use of templates to favour the enzymatic build-up of cyclodextrins. Using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase to catalyse reversible transglycosylation, and 1-adamantane carboxylic acid as the template, we can synthesise β-CD from maltose in approximately 70% yield. This work represents a step towards supramolecular control over enzymatic production of complex oligosaccharides from simple building blocks.