Dendritic architectures supramolecular interactions

Dendritic architectures have attracted the interest of many scientists recently. The aesthetically pleasing tree-like moleeules combine advanced synthesis and unique properties with the prospects of supramolecular technologies. The guest-host properties of these well-defined macromolecules are of great interest, because they resemble the interactions of small molecules with biomacromolecules like proteins, and they are able to close the gap between the traditional supramolecular interactions of smaller molecules and the interactions in larger (phase-separated) macromolecular systems. In recent years a large number of interesting results have been reported, in which supramolecular interactions and dendritic architectures are combined. 

We have been inspired by the many possibilities of dendritic technologies to investigate the supramolecular interactions of dendritic architectures. In our view, it is of utmost interest to have large quantities of well-defined dendrimers available in order to explore the different possibilities for applications. Although reports on dendritic structures are ubiquitous, data on the commercially available dendrimers are more scarce. Our poly(propylene imine) dendrimers combine high purity with specific properties due to the highly polar structure of a polyimine. Some of the... 

This chapter presents a selective glimpse of this dynamic family of spherical macromolecnles for newcomers to the topic in order to help them better appreciate the field that has been extensively reviewed elsewhere. This chapter is divided into several parts to emphasize the structmal diversity and their potential applications. First, a study of the internal structure of the dendritic architecture, emphasizing the different types, followed by a study of their interactions with other molecules or atoms, such as in the case of host-guest chemistry, molecular recognition, or encapsulation inside the dendrimer. Finally, there is a small section that will address the intermolecular interactions of dendrimers and dendrons to either themselves or other nano-objects. In this past quarter century, tens of thousands of papers have been published producing a wide variety of different dendritic architectures with varied structural components capable of novel supramolecular interactions. Therefore, only an overview describing their structure with representative examples and practical purposes will be discussed, when appropriate. 

Dendrimers and dendrons are appealing types of nanoscale, highly branched, macromolecules, which, because of their structure and properties, have attracted the interest of many researches worldwide. The preceding text has tried to summarize the different selective supramolecular aspects about their properties, structure, potential diversity, and applications to nonspecialized scientists. An introduction of these dendritic structures has combined a short description of the structure and synthesis with some historical perspectives, followed by a classification of dendritic structures, as covalent and noncovalent entities. Emphases have been given to their host-guest capacity to encapsulate small molecules, ions, or nanoparticles, as well as to interact with themselves or other nano-objects. The continued investigation in many fields of these unique architectures has produced a wide variety of branched fractal constructs, which undoubtedly will continue to spark the imagination of future synthetic architects. 

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