Dendritic polymers applications

Kleij AW, Klein Gebbink RJM, van Koten G (2002) Dendritic polymer application catalysts. In Frechet J, Tomalia D (eds) Dendrimers and other dendritic polymers. Wiley, New York... 

Due to dieir compact, branched structure and to die resulting lack of chain entanglement, dendritic polymers exhibit much lower melt and solution viscosity dian their lineal" counterparts. Low a-values in die Mark-Houwink-Sakurada intrinsic viscosity-molar mass equation have been reported for hyperbranched polyesters.198 199 Dendrimers do not obey diis equation, a maximum being observed in die corresponding log-log viscosity-molar mass curves.200 The lack of chain entanglements, which are responsible for most of the polymer mechanical properties, also explains why hyperbranched polymers cannot be used as diermoplastics for structural applications. Aldiough some crystalline or liquid... 

Interest in dendritic polymers (dendrimers) has grown steadily over the past decade due to use of these molecules in numerous industrial and biomedical applications. One particular class of dendrimers, Starburst polyamidoamine (PAMAM) polymers, a new class of nanoscopic, spherical polymers that appears safe and nonimmunogenic for potential use in a variety of therapeutic applications for human diseases. This chapter will focus on investigations into PAMAM dendrimers for in vitro and in vivo nonviral gene delivery as these studies have progressed from initial discoveries to recent animal trials. In addition, we will review other applications of dendrimers where the polymers are surface modified. This allows the opportunity to target-deliver therapeutics or act as competitive inhibitors of viral or toxin attachment to cells. 

Grohn, F., Bauer, B. J. and Amis, E. J. Characterization, modelling and applications of dendritic polymers, in Abstracts to the NIST Workshop on Properties and Applications of Dendritic Polymers. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, 1998. 

Amongst the first studies presenting the use of dendritic polymers for thermoset applications was the work of Hult et al. [62]. They modified hyperbranched hydroxy functional polyesters with various ratios of maleate-allyl ether/alkyl ester end groups. Dependent on this ratio, resins with different vis-... 

Paleos CM, Tsiourvas D, Sideratou Z. Molecular engineering of dendritic polymers and their application as dmg and gene delivery systems. Mol Pharm 2007 4 169-188. 

The application of dendritic polymers as drug delivery systems has gained interest mainly due to their inertness relative to temperature, solvent, and pH extremes [38]. However, dendritic polymers require further improvements in biocompability and biodistribution profiles. The cytotoxicity of dendrimers currently has been primarily studied in vitro. 

Books a) J. M. J. Frechet, D. A. Tomalia, Dendrimers and Other Dendritic Polymers, Wiley, Chichester 2001 b) G. R. New-kome, C. N. Moorefield, F. Vogtle, Dendrimers and Dendrons Concepts, Syntheses, Applications, Wiley-VCH, New York, Weinheim 2001. 

Existing applications of dendrimers and dendritic polymers and those still in the planning stage are described together with the relevant properties. A number of characteristic general properties providing the basis for these applications are presented in a brief introductory overview. Other properties of specific dendrimer families are mentioned in Chapters 4 to 6. 

Stiriba, S. E., Frey, H., Haag, R., Dendritic polymers in biomedical applications From potential to clinical use in diagnostics and therapy. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 1329-1334. 

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