Polyphenylene, dendrimer hyperbranched

Hyperbranched polymers are formed by polymerization of AB,-monomers as first theoretically discussed by Flory. A wide variety of hyperbranched polymer structures such as aromatic polyethers and polyesters, aliphatic polyesters. polyphenylenes, and aromatic polyamides have been described in the literature. The structure of hyperbranched polymers allows some defects, i.e. the degree of branching (DB) is less than one. The synthesis of hyperbranched polymers can often be simplified compared to the one of dendrimers since it is not necessary to use protection/deprotection steps. The most common synthetic route follows a one-pot procedure " where AB,-monomers are condensated in the presence of a catalyst. Another method using a core molecule and an AB,-monomer has been described. ... 

Completely aromatic, hyperbranched polyphenylenes were synthesized as monodendrons from AB2 type monomers by Kim and Webster [111, 112]. These dendrimers were prepared either by the homocoupling of 3,5-dibromophenyl boronic acid under modified Suzuki conditions, or by aryl-aryl coupling reactions involving 3,5-dihalo-phenyl Grignard reagents in the presence of Ni(II) catalysts as shown in Scheme 7. 

Concerted efforts to examine the synthesis and polymerization of such ABx monomers was however not attempted until 1989 when Kim and Webster (17) reported their preparation of hyperbranched polyphenylenes fi-om the AB2 monomers, 3,5-dibromophenyl boronic acid, 7, or 3,5-dibromophenyl magnesium bromide, 8 (Figure 1). In a similar way to dendrimers, the field of hyperbranched macromolecules has been extended considerably since this initial report. Hyperbranched polyesters based on fully aromatic, fiilly aliphatic, or partially aliphatic/aromatic systems have been extensively studied by a number of groups (18-20). Similarly, hyperbranched poly(etherketones) (21), poly(ethers) (22), poly(urethanes) (23), poly(siloxanes) (24), etc. have been prepared using classical step growth chemistry. 

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