Résumé
The large ring cyclodextrins (with more than 8 glucose units) existence was first described in the 1950s. Because of their hard purification and low yield, these molecules were little studied until recently. Since large ring cyclodextrins have unique structures compared to alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin, they could offer new opportunities for specific host-guest complex and thus enlarge the area of cyclodextrin applications. This paper gives a literature survey regarding the synthesis, the purification and the applications of cyclodextrins containing more than eight glucose units. (C) 2011 Academie des sciencesAcademie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.