Architectural control in dendritic and hyperbranched macromolecules

Abstract

The construction of complex macromolecular structures by the assembly of simple building blocks has long been the sole domain of natural systems; proteins, enzymes, DNA, etc. and are the supreme examples of precisely controlled biological macromolecules. While current techniques do not allow the preparation of synthetic macromolecules with the same degree of control as found in nature, chemists have achieved a degree of success in controlling the structure of small molecules. Building on this initial work, a new class of macromolecules, called dendrimers, has emerged which permits the synthesis of large, 3-dimensional macromolecules from simple building blocks. While the sophistication is not comparable to natural systems this refined control over the preparation of synthetic macromolecules, and the unique nanoenvironments created by such structures, has stimulated research into such diverse applications as drug delivery, diagnostic tools, rheology control, nanofabrication and molecular electronics. This review will cover the advances in the synthesis of dendritic macromolecules with special focus on the control of structure and functionality.