Unusual electrochemical properties of unsymmetric viologen dendrimers

A new series of redox-active dendrimers containing a single 4,4'-bipyridinium (viologen) group covalently attached to the focal point of Newkome-type dendrons (first to third generation) has been prepared and characterized. The electrochemical properties of these unsymmetric dendrimers show two unusual aspects. First, the electrochemical kinetics for viologen reduction remains fast from the first to the third dendrimer generation. Second, the values of the half-wave potentials reveal that dendrimer growth favors the generation of positive charge in the viologen residue in CH(2)Cl(2), THF, and CH(3)CN solutions, while slightly disfavors it in DMSO.     

Dendritic cavitands: preparation and electrochemical properties

A new series of dendrimers containing a central cavitand core with four appended Fréchet-type dendrons, linked to the core through 4,4'-bipyridinium (viologen) subunits, have been synthesized, characterized and their electrochemical properties investigated using cyclic voltammetric measurements.     

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.     

Designing poly(amido amine) dendrimers containing core diversities by click chemistry of the propargyl focal point poly(amido amine) dendrons

General, fast, efficient, and inexpensive methods for the synthesis of poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers having core diversities were elaborated. In all syntheses, the major step involved an inexpensive 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between an alkyne and an azide in the presence of Cu(I) species, which is known as the best example of click chemistry. The propargyl‐functionalized PAMAM dendrons are obtained by the divergent approach using propargylamine as an alkyne‐focal point. Three core building blocks, 1,3,5‐tris(azidomethyl)benzene, N,N,N′,N′‐tetra(azidopropylamidoethyl)‐1,2‐diaminoethane, and 4,4′‐(3,5‐bis(azidopropyloxy)benzyloxy)bisphenyl, were designed and synthesized to serve as the azide functionalities for dendrimer growth via click reactions with the alkyne‐dendrons. These three building blocks were employed together with the propargyl‐functionalized PAMAM dendrons in a convergent strategy to synthesize three kinds of PAMAM dendrimers with different core units. This novel and pivotal strategy using an efficient click methodology provides the fast and efficient synthesis of the PAMAM dendrimers with the tailed made core units. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1083–1097, 2008     

Synthesis of Fréchet type dendritic benzyl propargyl ether and Fréchet type triazole dendrimer

Fréchet type dendritic benzyl propargyl ethers were synthesized by the reaction of propargyl bromide with the corresponding Fréchet type dendritic benzyl alcohol. A propargyl focal point functionalized dendrons were applied for the construction of symmetric and unsymmetric dendrimers containing 1,2,3-triazole rings as connectors via click chemistry with a tripodal azide core or a azide focal point functionalized Fréchet type dendrons.     

Optically active dendrimers with a binaphthyl core and phenylene dendrons: light harvesting and enantioselective fluorescent sensing

Optically active dendrimers containing a 1,1'-binaphthyl core and cross-conjugated phenylene dendrons were synthesized and characterized. The chiral optical properties of these phenylene-based dendrimers are different from the previously reported phenyleneethynylene-based dendrimers probably because of the increased steric interaction between the adjacent phenylene units. UV and fluorescence spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the energy harvested by the periphery of the dendrimers can be efficiently transferred to the more conjugated core, generating much enhanced fluorescence signal at higher generation. The fluorescence of these dendrimers can be quenched both efficiently and enantioselectively by chiral amino alcohols. The energy migration and light-harvesting effects of the dendrimers make the higher generation dendrimer more sensitive to fluorescent quenchers than the lower ones. Thus, the dendritic structure provides a signal amplification mechanism. These materials are potentially useful in the enantioselective recognition of chiral organic molecules.     

Convergent synthesis of platinum-acetylide dendrimers

An efficient convergent route to the main chain type of organometallic dendrimers, in which platinum moieties are linked by 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene, has been developed. The synthesis of platinum-acetylide dendrons involved the use of two types of trialkylsilyl groups for protection of the terminal acetylene. The platinum-acetylide dendrimers were prepared up to the third generation by reacting dendrons with a triplatinum core and a tetraplatinum core. Spectroscopic characterization and trace experiments by gel permeation chromatography indicated that the dendrimer molecules have no structural defects. Although a pi-conjugated system was used as the bridging ligand, electronic and fluorescence spectra suggested that the interaction among the platinum-acetylide moieties in the dendrimers was small.     

Electrochemical and guest binding properties of Frechet- and Newkome-type dendrimers with a single viologen unit located at their apical positions

Several new series of dendrimers containing a single redox-active 4,4'-bipyridinium (viologen) residue were synthesized and characterized. In these dendrimers, the viologen group is covalently attached to the apical position of a Newkome- or Frechet-type dendron, ranging in size from first to third generation of growth. The half-wave potentials corresponding to the two consecutive one-electron reductions of the viologen residue are affected by the size of the dendritic component. The size effects are more pronounced in the Newkome-type dendrimers and seem to result from the polarity contrast between the microenvironments provided by the solution and the internal phase of the dendrimer. Unlike in many other dendrimers having a redox-active core, the voltammetric behavior remains fast (reversible) even in third generation dendrimers. Pulse gradient stimulated echo NMR diffusion coefficient measurements on the Newkome-type dendrimers reveal that their hydrodynamic radii are relatively invariant in solvents of widely different polarities (dichloromethane to dimethyl sulfoxide). The host-guest binding interactions between the viologen residue in these dendrimers and the crown ether host bis-p-phenylene-34-crown-8 were also investigated. While in Newkome-type dendrimers the growth of the dendron caused a substantial attenuation of the binding constant values, this size effect was not observed in the Frechet-type dendrimers. These electrochemical and binding measurements underscore some of the structural differences between these two common types of dendritic architectures.     

Properties of Oligothiophene Dendrimers as a Function of Molecular Architecture and Generation Number

Density functional and time‐dependent density functional calculations using the B3LYP method combined with the 6‐31G(d) and 6‐311++G(d,p) basis sets are performed on symmetric and unsymmetric all‐thiophene dendrimers containing up to 45 thiophene rings. Calculations consider both the neutral and the oxidized states of each dendrimer. The results are used to examine the molecular geometry, the ionization potential, the lowest π–π* transition energy, and the shape of the frontier orbitals. The molecular and electronic properties of these systems depend not only on the number of thiophene rings, as typically occurs for linear oligothiophenes, but also on their symmetric/unsymmetric molecular architecture. Two mathematical models developed to predict the lowest π–π* transition energy of all‐thiophene dendrimers that are inaccessible to quantum mechanical calculations are tested on a dendrimer with 90 thiophene rings.     

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     

Core Functionality and Scaling Behavior of Lysine Dendrimers

Summary: A scaling exponent to describe the dependence of the hydrodynamic radius as a characteristic length of the molecule on the molecular weight, has been determined for low generation dendrimers with a thiacalixarene core and lysine dendrons. The hydrodynamic radius has been calculated from the diffusion coefficient measured by pulsed‐field‐gradient NMR spectroscopy. Scaling exponents of 2.0 for the lysine monodendron, 2.3 for a dendrimer with a bifunctional core, and 3.9 for a dendrimer with a tetrafunctional core have been determined. For a given structure of the dendrons, the scaling exponent reflects the functionality of the core of the dendrimers.

Hydrodynamic radius of lysine dendrons as a function of molar mass.     

Dendrimers based on a three-dimensionally disposed AB4 monomer

[reaction: see text] Design and synthesis of a novel class of dendrons based on an AB(4) monomer are described. These dendrons have been evaluated by using dendritic encapsulation of a redox active core. The electrochemical properties of symmetric ferrocene-cored dendrimers show that significant alterations in redox potential and heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants could be achieved even at lower generations.     

Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of 1,1'-binaphthyl-based chiral phenylenevinylene dendrimers

New chiral, soluble binaphthyl derivatives that incorporate stilbenoid dendrons at the 6,6'-positions have been prepared. The synthesis of the new enantiopure dendrimers was performed in a convergent manner by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction of the appropriately functionalized 1,1'-binaphthyl derivative (R)-1 and the appropriate dendrons (R)(2n)G(n)-CHO. Different electroactive units were incorporated in the peripheral positions of the dendrons in order to tune both the optical and electrochemical behavior of these systems. Fluorescence measurements on the chiral dendrimers reveal a strong emission with maxima between 409 and 508 nm depending upon the substitution pattern. Finally, the redox properties of the dendrimers were determined by cyclic voltammetry, showing the influence of the functional groups at the peripheral positions of the dendrimer on the redox behavior of these systems.     

Complete charge pooling is prevented in viologen-based dendrimers by self-protection

We have investigated the electrochemical behavior, and chemical and photosensitized reduction of two dendrimers based on a 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzenoid core, which contain 9 and 21 4,4'-bipyridinium (usually called viologen) units, respectively, in their branches and are terminated with tetraarylmethane groups. For comparison purposes, the behavior of reference compounds that contain a single viologen unit have also been investigated. We have found that only part of the viologen units can be reduced in the dendrimer species. For the larger dendrimer, the number of reducible viologens (out of the 21 present) is 14 in electrochemical experiments (in MeCN), 9 on reduction with bis(benzene)chromium (in MeCN), and 13 by photoinduced electron transfer with 9-methylanthracene as a photosensitizer and triethanolamine as a sacrificial reductant in CH2Cl2. The reduced viologen units undergo partial dimerization. The photochemical experiments have shown that only monomeric, one-electron-reduced viologen units are formed at the beginning of the irradiation, followed by dimer formation, until a photostationary state is reached that contains 40 % nonreduced, 33 % monomeric reduced, and 27 % reduced units associated in the dimeric form. The results suggest that, upon reduction of a fraction of the viologen units, the dendrimer structure shrinks, with the result that the bulky terminal groups protect other viologen units from being reduced.     

Synthesis of poly(propyl ether imine) dendrimers and evaluation of their cytotoxic properties

In this paper, we report the synthesis of several poly(propyl ether imine) dendrons and dendrimers. These dendrons and dendrimers were constructed by involving an ether as the linker component and an imine as the branching component. The divergent syntheses of dendrons and dendrimers were established with the aid of two alternate Michael addition reactions and two alternate reduction reactions in a four-step iterative synthetic sequence. Dendrons up to three generations were synthesized and some of the dendrons were attached to a benzenoid core so as to obtain dendrimers up to two generations containing 12 carboxylic acids at the periphery. Divergent synthesis involving ether as the core was found to be more facile, and dendrimers up to three generations having 16 carboxylic acids at the periphery were achieved in good to excellent yields in each individual step. The adopted synthetic sequence allows us to install either alcohol, an amine, or a carboxylic acid at their peripheries. The carboxylic acid-terminated dendrons and dendrimers were evaluated as to their cytotoxic properties, and while most dendrons and dendrimers did not exhibit any measurable cytotoxicity, even up to 100 microg/mL, the second-generation dendrimer with the benzenoid core exhibited a mild toxicity at concentrations above 30 microg/mL.     

Synthesis of Optically Active,X‐Shaped,Conjugated Compounds and Dendrimers Based on Planar Chiral [2.2]Paracyclophane,Leading to Highly Emissive Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Optically active, Fréchet‐type dendrimers containing an emissive X‐shaped π‐electron system as the core unit were synthesized. Gram‐scale optical resolution and transformations of 4,7,12,15‐tetrasubstituted [2.2]paracyclophanes were also carried out. The high‐generation dendrons effectively absorbed UV light and transferred energy to the core, resulting in high photoluminescence (PL) from the core. In addition, the dendrons sufficiently isolated the emissive X‐shaped conjugated core and bright emission was observed from both thin films and solutions. Intense circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) was observed from the thin film. The dendrimer films exhibited excellent optical properties, such as large molar extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum efficiencies, intense PL and CPL, and large CPL dissymmetry factors.     

Mechanisms for fluorescence depolarization in dendrimers

We have investigated the fluorescence properties of dendrimers (Gn is the dendrimer generation number) containing four different luminophores, namely terphenyl (T), dansyl (D), stilbenyl (S), and eosin (E). In the case of T, the dendrimers contain a single p-terphenyl fluorescent unit as a core with appended sulfonimide branches of different size and n-octyl chains. In the cases of D and S, multiple fluorescent units are appended in the periphery of poly(propylene amine) dendritic structures. In the case of E, the investigated luminophore is noncovalently linked to the dendritic scaffold, but is encapsulated in cavities of a low luminescent dendrimer. Depending on the photophysical properties of the fluorescent units and the structures of the dendrimers, different mechanisms of fluorescence depolarization have been observed: (i) global rotation for GnT dendrimers; (ii) global rotation and local motions of the dansyl units at the periphery of GnD dendrimers; (iii) energy migration among stylbenyl units in G2S; and (iv) restricted motion when E is encapsulated inside a dendrimer, coupled to energy migration if the dendrimer hosts more than one eosin molecule.     

Metal-assembling dendrimers with a triarylamine core and their application to a dye-sensitized solar cell

A series of charge-separable and hole-transporting phenylazomethine dendrimers with a triarylamine core are prepared and evaluated for use as a charge separator in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Triphenylamine with dendric phenylazomethine (TPA-DPA) is prepared by synthesizing up to five generations of dendrons using a convergent method. The resultant dendrimer has a rigid sphere structure similar to globular protein, with a hydrodynamic radius of 2.43 nm. Electrochemical oxidation of the TPA core reveals that the dendron units in the dendrimer have 0.35 of the attenuation factor (beta) in the electron transfer. Complexation of TPA-DPA with SnCl2 proceeds in stepwise fashion from the core to the terminal imine following the basicity gradient among imine groups in each dendron shell. DSSCs prepared by casting these dendrimers onto dye-sensitized TiO2 film exhibited a higher open-circuit voltage than the bare film through the suppression of back electron transfer. The generational growth of dendrons increases the radius of the dendrimer, resulting in a stronger association with I3- and higher open-circuit voltage with an increasing number of generations. Complexation with SnCl2 reduces the resistance of TPA-DPA and improves the fill factor. The energy conversion efficiency of the DSSC prepared using fifth-generation TPA-DPA is 21% higher than that for the bare film and, when complexed with SnCl2, provides a 34% improvement.     

Supramolecular structural diversity among first-generation hybrid dendrimers and twin dendrons

Hybrid dendrimers, obtained by complete monofunctionalization of the peripheral amines of a "zero-generation" polyethyleneimine dendrimer, provide structurally diverse lamellar, columnar, and cubic self-organized lattices that are less readily available from other modified dendritic structures. The reaction of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) with 4-dodecyloxybenzimidazolide provides only the corresponding zero-generation TREN dendrimer. From the mixture of tri- and disubstituted TREN derivatives obtained from first-generation self-assembling dendritic imidazolides, the hybrid dendrimer and a twin dendron could be separated, purified, and characterized. The hybrid dendrimers display smectic, columnar hexagonal (Phi(h)), and cubic (Pm_3n) lattices. The TREN twin dendrons, on which only two peripheral amines have been acylated, exhibit centered-rectangular columnar (Phi(r-c)), Phi(h), and Pm_3n lattices. The existence of a thermoreversible Phi(h)-to-Pm_3n phase transition in the first-generation hybrid dendrimers and twin dendrons is exploited to elucidate an epitaxial relationship between the two mesophases. We postulate a mechanism by which the transition proceeds. The thermoreversible Phi(h)-to-Pm_3n phase change is accompanied by optical property changes that are suitable for rudimentary signaling or logic functions. This structural diversity reflects the quasiequivalence of flat-taper and conical self-assembling dendrons and the ability of flexible dendrimers to accommodate concomitant conformational and shape changes.     

Binding selectivity of cucurbit[7]uril: bis(pyridinium)-1,4-xylylene versus 4,4'-bipyridinium guest sites

The binding interactions between the host cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) and a series of linear guests containing bis(pyridinium)-1,4-xylylene and/or 4,4'-bipyridinium residues were investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. CB7 was found to exhibit considerable binding selectivity for bis(pyridinium)-1,4-xylylene over 4,4'-bipyridinium sites. New pseudo-rotaxane and rotaxane compounds were synthesized utilizing the host-guest interactions between CB7 and the surveyed guests. [structure: see text]