Recognition based on Electrostatic Interactions

The field in which the interaction between the dendritic host and the guest molecule(s) can be classified as electrostatic is very elaborate and therefore the focus in this section will be on the interaction of organic acids with dendrimers. 

Crooks et al. reported the transfer of amine-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimers into toluene containing dodecanoic acid [198], The method is based on the formation of ion pairs between the fatty acids and the terminal amine-groups. These dendrimer-fatty acid complexes resemble unimolecular inverted micelles and could be used as phase transfer vehicles for the transport of Methyl Orange, an anionic dye molecule, into an organic medium. 

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