Covalent Micelles Dendritic Polymers

PAMAM dendrimers, synthesized subsequently, are likely the most widely investigated and used dendritic polymers to date. The first dendrimers commercialized in that family were the Starburst systems. These species were developed in the mid-1980s by Tomalia [5], at about the same time when Newkome developed similar dendritic architectures named Arborols [6]. A major incentive for the development of these molecules was the creation of covalently bonded (unimolecular) micelles comparable to the well-known multi- or intermolecular micellar systems. 

Figure 4 DNA-synthetic polymer conjugates, (a) Incorporating extended aromatic molecules into DNA creates folded stmctures through jT-stacking. (b) Block copolymers consisting of DNA and synthetic polymers can be assembled into micelles via microphase separation of incompatible blocks, (c) A PEG-DNA-brush block copolymer can shape shift between spherical and cylindrical micelles depending on the specific DNA input, (d) Dendritic DNA, created by covalently modifying short DNA strands with dendritic oligoethylene moieties, self-assembles into long-range fibers without the need for sticky-end cohesion.

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