A permethylated cyclic fructo-oligosaccharide host that can bind cations in solution

Permethylated cycloinulohexose 1 acts, like an 18-crown-6 derivative with alkali and alkaline earth cations in organic solvents, where the cation is not bound by the central 18-crown-6 moiety, but by the upper OMe-3 groups of 1.