Self-growing micro/nano hexagonal cyclodextrins based on dual enzyme synergism and low-temperature induction

Polysaccharide molecules are naturally rigid due to the presence of glycosidic bonds, which leads to the fact that modulating the crystal shape of their materials on the re -nanometer scale is considered challenging. In this paper, we report an extremely novel and concise approach to modify starch, a natural plant polysaccharide from a wide range of sources, to create micro/nano cyclodextrin crystals with a perfect hexagonal appearance. The crystal seeds were effectively modified by dual-enzyme synergistic modification and induced the successful growth of nanocyclodextrins from the matrix by a low-temperature crystallization strategy. Further optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and molecular docking simulations revealed possible enzyme modifications and crystal growth mechanisms that lead to the desired morphological structure of the final product. Finally, we tested the ability of micro/nano hexagonal cyclodextrins as carriers and applied them to a real tomato preservation scenario using cinnamaldehyde as a prototype. Our study provides a disruptive strategy to modulate the shape of polysaccharide-based materials, an approach that is very efficient and green and may advance the prospects of hydrocarbon polymers at finer scales.