Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers: Synthesis, Properties and Self-assembly

Abstract

Poly(amidoamine) dendrimers are synthetic, highly branched, monodisperse spherical macromolecules made of a central core surrounded by repeating units, all enclosed by a terminal group shell. They can be synthesized with precisely defined size and structure. Unique, high-surface functionality provides nanosized building blocks for complex nanoconstructions based on either covalent binding or self-assembly-type processes. In the biomedical field, dendrimers have been used for drug delivery, gene therapy, antigen conjugates, and synthetic vaccines. In materials science, dendrimers have been used for adhesive coating on glass, metal, carbon, or polymer surfaces, additives for polymers and composites, crosslinking agents, electrically conductive nanodevices, and chemical sensors. A wide variety of self-assembled dendrimer layers have been reported and their study are one of the most promising areas of applied dendrimer research.