a-Cyclodextrin ( -CD, C36H60O30) is an enzymatic degradation product of amylose (starch). It consists of six (1-*-4) linked glucoses and represents in its annular structure and overall dimensions one turn of the V6 amylose helix. a-CD and starch are able to form inclusion complexes with a variety of guests. With metal iodides in aqueous solution, essentially black, channel-type complexes crystallize in which -CD molecules stack like coins in a roll and in the tubular cavity polyiodide chains are embedded. Depending on the counterion, four different crystal types have been observed: the (pseudo)hexagonal (a-CDL-Kb-b-nFbO (form I), the triclinic (a-CD)2-Lil3'l2-8FI20 (form II), the hexagonal (a-CD)2-BaI2-l2-12H20 (form III), and the tetragonal (a-CD)2-Cdo.5'l5'27H20 (form IV). While for forms I and III only packing of the molecules can be given, the structures of forms II and IV have been studied in detail. In these, countercations are located in interstices between -CD stacks and coordinated with -CD hydroxyls in the case of Li+ (form II) but Cd2+ (form IV) is surrounded by water. This finding suggests that the observed polymorphism is due to different coordination schemes of cations. In complexes II and IV, -CD molecules adopt a "relaxed" form with all 0(5)-C(5)-C(6)-0(6) torsion angles (-)-gauche. They are linked head-to-head via H bonds to form dimers and each dimer accommodates five I atoms. Four of these are in fully occupied positions near planes defined by 0(4) and C( 6) atoms (diameter of cavity ~5.2 Á). The fifth I is where the 0(2), 0(3) rims of adjacent -CD meet and, since the cavity there bulges to ~7 Á, this I is twofold disordered (in ratio 39/61 in II and 50/50 in IV).The polyiodide chain in II is interpreted as (h-b-),, while it is (Is-),, in IV. Distances between I2, I3-, or I5-units are 3.14-4.01 Á, which are in all cases smaller than the van der Waals distance 4.3 Á. The black or blue color effects are due mainly to I-I charge transfer and possibly to I-H but not to I-O interactions. Electrical conductivity is -6 cm-1 along and 10-10 cm-1 perpendicular to the polyiodide chains in these crystals. It is proposed that in the "blue starch-iodine complex" the polyiodide chain is as found in complex II or IV.* Part I 2 of the series "Topography of Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes". For part 1 1. see B. Klar. B. Hingerty, and \V. Saenger, Acta Crystallogr., in press.0002-7863/80/1 502-271 OSO 1.00/0 to an aqueous solution of -CD, a cage-type complex of composition -00• 2•4 20 crystallizes as reddish needles.18 Flowever, if iodide anions are present, nearly black crystals showing metallic luster are formed. They belong to the channel-type inclusion compounds and their habitus, colors, and space groups depend strongly on the counterion, Table I. These complexes are of particular interest in relation to the polymeric amylose-iodine complex, because the "infinite columns" of the stacked -CD molecules mimic the amylose helix. The correspondence of matrix dimensions is obvious from the crystal data entere...