Synthesis of new cores and their use in the preparation of polyester dendrimers

Six dendrimer and dendron cores terminated by hydroxyl groups that are neither phenolic nor cleavable by hydrogenolysis have been prepared in a consistent one-pot manner from terminal allyl groups by reduction of the product of reductive ozonolysis. Some of the terminal allyl derivatives are new and others have been prepared by new methods. The well-known O-benzylidene derivative of 2,2′-bis(hydroxymethyl)propanoic acid was shown to be the cis-stereoisomer. A new AB₃-type anhydride, tris(benzyloxymethyl)acetic anhydride has been prepared. It was demonstrated that these cores and dendrons could be assembled into first and second generation homo- and mixed polyester dendrimers.     

Synthesis of new unsymmetrical optically active (s)-(+)-naproxen dendrimers

Preparation of new unsymmetrical optically active (s)-(+)-naproxen dendrimers containing 2-hydroxymethyl-1,4-butanediol and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,4-butanediol cores is described. These polyarylester dendrimers are unsymmetrical with respect to chain lengths and aid in studying controlled drug delivery based on differential enzymatic cleavage. Synthesis of a new acid dendritic wedge containing (s)-(+)-naproxen is also reported.     

Multifunctional Supramolecular Dendrimers with an s‐Triazine Ring as the Central Core: Liquid Crystalline,Fluorescence and Photoconductive Properties

Novel liquid crystal (LC) dendrimers have been synthesised by hydrogen bonding between an s‐triazine as the central core and three peripheral dendrons derived from bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid. Symmetric acid dendrons bearing achiral promesogenic units have been synthesised to obtain 3:1 complexes with triazine that exhibit LC properties. Asymmetric dendrons that combine the achiral promesogenic unit and an active moiety derived from coumarin or pyrene structures have been synthesised in order to obtain dendrimers with photophysical and electrochemical properties. The formation of the complexes was confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy data. The liquid crystalline properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and X‐ray diffractometry. All complexes displayed mesogenic properties, which were smectic in the case of symmetric dendrons and their complexes and nematic in the case of asymmetric dendrons and their dendrimers. A supramolecular model for the lamellar mesophase, based mainly on X‐ray diffraction studies, is proposed. The electrochemical behaviour of dendritic complexes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The UV/Vis absorption and emission properties of the compounds and the photoconductive properties of the dendrons and dendrimers were also investigated     

Synthesis of steroidal dendrimers modified by ‘click’ chemistry with PAMAM dendrons as unimolecular micelles

Novel Fréchet–PAMAM hybrid dendrimers linked by triazole units as unimolecular micelles with a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrophilic shell were prepared. The dendritic cores with 3 and 6 alkyne terminal groups were synthesized from 1,3,5-tribromomethyl-benzene (tBrMeB), in one case by direct coupling with 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE); in the second one the tBrMeB was reacted with bis(hydroxymethyl) phenol followed by chlorination of the hydroxyl groups and subsequent coupling to EE. With this strategy, the core can be grown by further substitutions of bis(hydroxymethyl) phenol over the halogenated terminals as Fréchet dendrimer. The hydrophilic shells used were PAMAM type dendrons of 0.5 and 1.5 generations with azide as focal point and tert-butyl ester as end groups. The unimolecular micelles were obtained by cycloaddition between an azide in the selected dendron and the alkyne terminal in the hydrophobic core to obtain a 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole. Once the coupling was achieved, the tert-butyl ester groups were hydrolyzed in trifluoroacetic acid and the corresponding dendrimers with carboxylic acid as end groups were completely soluble in phosphate buffer solutions of pH 7.0, 7.4, and 8.0. All hybrid dendrimers were characterized by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and FTIR.     

Thermal and X‐ray powder diffraction studies of aliphatic polyester dendrimers

The syntheses and thermal and X‐ray powder diffraction analyses of three sets of aliphatic polyester dendrimers based on 2,2‐bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid as a repeating unit and 2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐propanediol, 1,5‐pentanediol, and 1,1,1‐tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane as core molecules are reported. These dendritic polyesters were prepared in high yields with the divergent method. The thermal properties of these biodendrimers were evaluated with thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal decomposition of the compounds occurred around 250 °C for the hydroxyl‐ended dendrimers and around 150 °C for the acetonide‐protected dendrimers. In addition, the crystallinity of the lower generation dendrimers was evaluated with X‐ray powder diffraction. The highest crystallinity and the highest melting points were observed for the first‐generation dendritic compounds. The higher generation dendrimers showed weaker melting transitions during the first heating scan. Only the glass‐transition temperatures were observed in subsequent heating scans. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5574–5586, 2004     

Second-harmonic properties of dendritic polymers skeleton-constructed with azobenzene moiety used for nonlinear optical materials

A series of dendrons and dendrimers skeleton-constructed with azobenzene moiety were synthesized and doped in a high T_g polycarbonate (PC) as a host for nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. The optimal loading density and poling conditions were investigated using UV-vis spectral and second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. The results showed that the dendrons and dendrimers have good solubility in PC host, which increased with the generation increased. Moreover, the SHG measurements indicated that the dendrons possess higher nonlinearity than the dendrimers. The chromophores of lower generation dendrons were easier to orient along the poling electric field and gave a cone shape with the azobenzene branching units, which coherently contributed to the molecular hyperpolarizability and resulted in the higher SHG intensity. The temporal stability of the dendrons with 15% loading density was also investigated, and showed that the decaying in nonlinearity was slower for higher generation dendrons.     

Hydrodynamic, conformational, and electrooptical properties of cylindrical dendrimers with dendron ionic addition in solutions

Cylindrical dendrimers of first, second, and third generations with side dendrons based on L-aspartic acid which are attached to poly(styrenesulfonic acid) chains via ionic bonds are studied by molecular hydrodynamic, optical, and electrooptical measurements. Macromolecules of the said dendrimers demonstrate significant kinetic rigidity in external electric and hydrodynamic fields simultaneously with moderate equilibrium chain rigidity. The comparative analysis of the experimental data on various cylindrical dendrimers with the polyvinyl backbone and L-aspartic acid-based dendrons is performed. It has been shown that, in solvents not disturbing intramolecular hydrogen bonds between side dendrons, the conformational and dynamic properties of various cylindrical dendrimers are similar. The molecular characteristics of cylindrical dendrimers in non-dissociating solvents are insignificantly affected by the mode of dendron attachment to the backbone (covalent or ionic binding).     

Synthesis of 1,2,4-triazole dendrimers

A convergent synthetic strategy towards novel 1,2,4-triazole dendrimers, in which 3,5-dichloro-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole was used as the heterocyclic building block, was successfully explored. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution at this novel AB₂-monomer was used as the key step in the propagation of the heterocyclic dendrons and these dendrons were attached to both a 1,3,5-triazine and a methylene core. The peripheral 1,2,4-triazole could be varied not only by nucleophilic aromatic substitution but also by Suzuki cross-coupling. The presented dendrimers are promising candidates to be used in applications where the large number of heteroatoms can be exploited or a better resistance to the applied conditions is required.     

Viologen-based benzylic dendrimers: selective synthesis of 3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzylbromide and conformational analysis of the corresponding viologen dendrimer subunit

Convergent and divergent strategies for the synthesis of viologen dendrimers with 1,3,5-tri-methylene-branching units are discussed. The title compound is easily transformed into 1-[3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzyl]-4-(pyridin-4-yl)pyridinium hexafluorophosphate, which is used in sequential growth and activation steps as a CB₂ compound in the cascade-type dendrimer synthesis (B = -OH, activation = -OH → Br). Analysis of the dendrimer structure reveals that three torsional angles, that is, τ₁ between the two pyridinium units, τ₂ between the methylene and pyridinium and τ₃ between the methylene and phenyl, determine the conformational space of the dendrimers. We report here the crystal structure of 1-[3,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)benzyl]-4-(pyridin-4-yl)pyridinium as PF₆⁻ salt which represents the smallest subunit of the dendrimer that shows the same three torsional angles. The crystal structure together with the results from PM3 calculations opens an avenue to judge the structure of benzylic viologen-based dendrimers.     

Hyperbranched Aliphatic Polyester Grafted Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles with a Real One‐Pot Method

The hyperbranched aliphatic polyester grafted calcium carbonate nanoparticles (HAPE‐CaCO₃), was successfully prepared by the real one‐pot method. The AB₂ monomer, 2,2‐bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (bis‐MPA), was used as both the surface modifying agent and the monomer of the hyperbranched aliphatic polyester. It introduced the organic active group (hydroxyl group) onto the surfaces of the calcium carbonate nanoparticles (nano‐CaCO₃) and its polycondensation took place subsequently, with the catalysis of p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TSA). The HAPE‐CaCO₃ had been characterized by elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscope (TEM).     

Segment block dendrimers via Diels-Alder cycloaddition

Segment block dendrimers consisting of polyester and polyaryl ether dendrons were synthesized using reagent free Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions. Three generations of furan functionalized polyaryl ether dendrons were reacted with maleimide functionalized polyester dendrons of the same generation to obtain segment block dendrimers in good yields. The thermoreversible nature of these macromolecules was investigated by subjecting them to elevated temperatures in the presence of anthracene as a scavenger diene.     

A New Perspective of Enthalpies of Proton Transfer of Aliphatic Amines, Hydroxyamines, and Aminoalkylsulfonic Acids in Methanol–Water Mixtures by Direct Calorimetry

The enthalpies of proton transfer in methanol–water mixtures (0–90 wt.% methanol) of the aliphatic amines: triethylamine (Et₃N), t-butylamine, and quinuclidine (Q); the hydroxyamines:2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (Amp), 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (Bis), tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane (Tris), and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2′,2′′-nitrilotriethanol (Bis-Tris); and the aminoalkylsulfonic acids: 3-(N-morpholino)-propanesulfonic acid (MOPS), N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (Bes), and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES), have been measured by direct calorimetry at 25°C. The results of the protonation reactions have been reported. All the salient features are now examined together with a view to assessing the success of interpretations using classical electrostatic formulation and three-dimensional structures in methanol–water mixtures. The objective is to find answers to the complex phenomena of solvation.     

Novel multivalent mannose compounds and their inhibition of the adhesion of type 1 fimbriated uropathogenic E. coli

A series of multivalent mannose containing compounds were prepared varying in size from small divalent, to 16-valent glycodenrimers and 21-valent glycopolymers. The molecules were approached via a common mannose building block. As scaffolds dendrimers and dendrons based on the 3,5-di-(2-aminoethoxy)-benzoic acid branching unit were used along with commercially available PAMAM dendrimers. To include larger structures, linear glycopolymers with varying amounts of mannose were prepared via radical polymerization. The compounds were tested for their biological activity using a newly developed ELISA based inhibition assay, for their ability to inhibit the binding of recombinant type I fimbriated E. coli to a monolayer of T24 cell line derived from human urinary bladder epithelium. All compounds showed enhanced affinity as compared to mannose with IC₅₀’s down to the low micromolar range.     

Relationship between incoherent excitation energy migration processes and molecular structures in zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers

Multiporphyrin dendrimers are among the most promising architectures to mimic the oxygenic light-harvesting complex because of their structural similarities and synthetic convenience. The overall geometries of dendrimers are determined by the core structure, the type of dendron, and the number of generations of interior repeating units. The rigid core and bulky volume of exterior porphyrin units in multiporphyrin dendrimers give rise to well-ordered three-dimensional structures. As the number of generations of interior repeating units increases, however, the overall structures of dendrimers become disordered and randomized due to the flexibility of the repeating units. To reveal the relationship between molecular structure and processes of excitation-energy migration in multiporphyrin dendrimers, we calculated the molecular structure and measured the time-resolved transient absorption and fluorescence anisotropy decays for various hexaarylbenzene-anchored polyester zinc(II) porphyrin dendrimers along with three types of porphyrin dendrons as references. We found that the congested two-branched type dendrimers exhibit more efficient energy migration processes than one- or three-branched type dendrimers because of multiple energy migration pathways, and the three-dimensional packing efficiency of dendrimers strongly depends on the type of dendrons.     

1,1,2,2-tetraaminoethane derivatives: III. Condensation of 2-(Dinitromethylene)imidazolidine-4,5-diol with nitrogen-containing nucleophiles

Condensation of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene with glyoxal and formaldehyde in water solutions at pH 7–8 gave rise to 2-(dinitromethylene)imidazolidine-4,5-diol and 1,1-diamino-N,N′-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene respectively. Condensation products of 2-(dinitromethylene)imidazolidine-4,5-diol with acetonitrile, benzonitrile, urethane, 3,4-diaminofurazan were isolated. The reaction of 4,5-diacetamido-2-(dinitromethylene) imidazolidine sulfate with water in acetonitrile led to the formation of 2-(dinitromethylene)-5-methyl-1,2,3,3a,4,6a-hexahydroimidazo[4,5-d]imidazole. The dehydration of 2-(dinitromethylene)imidazolidine-4,5-diol in a system H₂SO₄-AcOH provided 2-(dinitromethylene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-imidazol-4-ol. 1,1-Diamino-N,N′-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene in sulfuric acid was converted into 4-(dinitromethylene)-1,3,5-oxadiazinane.     

Hexadecameric self-assembled dendrimers built from 2'-deoxyguanosine derivatives

Herein we describe the construction of hexadecameric self-assembled dendrimers (SADs) using a series of dendronized 8-(m-acetylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine (mAG) subunits. The azido-substituted mAG subunits were covalently linked to alkynyl polyester dendrons using a copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Discrete SADs are formed with high fidelity and thermal stability even with the increased steric hindrance offered by the dendrons.     

Synthesis of Polyester Dendritic Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

Using a well‐defined poly(2,2‐bis(hydroxymethyl)propanoic acid) dendrimer scaffold, a series of G1 to G3 dendrons is functionalized at the periphery with alkynes to enable “Click” functionalization via the copper‐catalyzed alkyne–azide cycloaddition (CuAAC). The resulting dendrons are further functionalized at the core with a dipicolylamine (DPA) moiety to enable radiolabeling with ^99mTc for molecular imaging applications. Efficient CuAAC coupling is achieved using an azide‐functionalized triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (TEG‐N₃). Removal of copper from the DPA ligand is successfully performed on G1 and G2 dendrimers prior to radiolabeling with ^99mTc. Radiolabeling of the G3 dendrimer is accomplished via transmetallation of the [CuDPA]²⁺ ligand with ^99mTc, further demonstrating the feasibility of the synthetic strategies in the preparation of dendritic imaging agents. Subsequent attachment of an acyloxymethyl ketone (AOMK) derivative for targeting of cathepsin B is also explored. Despite demonstrating the ability to ligate multiple AOMK ligands, the AOMK–dendrimer conjugates are not able to bind to cathepsin B, which may be attributed to steric hindrance at the dendrimer periphery.

     

Barrier effect of dendrons on TiO2 particles in dye sensitized solar cells

The short circuit current of dye sensitised solar cells increased significantly by the simple addition of polyester hydroxyl acetylene bis(hydroxymethyl)propanoic acid dendrons on TiO(2) nanoparticles, resulting in a very high overall energy conversion efficiency.     

Synthesis of new unsymmetrical polyarylester dendrimers

Preparation of polyarylester dendrimers containing 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,4-butanediol and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,4-butanediol cores is described. These polyarylester dendrimers are unsymmetrical with respect to chain lengths and function as model systems for studying in vitro controlled drug release systems. Reaction conditions for deprotection of trichloroethyl group of the dendritic wedges have been improved.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of dendrimers containing meta-terphenyl peripheral groups and a 4,4′-bipyridinium core

Fréchet-type poly(arylether) dendrons carrying m-terphenyl peripheral groups were synthesized up to second generation by convergent methodology. Simple quarternisation of 4,4′-bipyridine with the dendritic bromides afforded the corresponding dendrimers containing a 4,4′-bipyridine core. The electrochemical parameters were obtained for all the dendrimers and the half-wave potentials of both the first and second redox processes shift to less-negative values as the dendrimer generation increases.