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 (K_a = 2.7 × 10⁴ M⁻¹) and pyridostigmine (K_a = 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.