Comparison of AB2 and AB4 monomers in ferrocene-cored benzyl ether dendrimers

Ferrocene-cored unsymmetric and symmetric arylalkyl ether dendrimers based on an AB₂ monomer (3,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol) were prepared. Their electrochemical properties were compared with the unsymmetric and symmetric ferrocene-cored dendrimers based on a relatively rigid and three-dimensionally disposed AB₄ monomer. The thermodynamics and kinetics of heterogeneous electron transfer in these dendrimers show that G_2n of AB₂ dendrimers behave similar to G_n of AB₄ dendrimers. For example, the redox reaction shows significant irreversibility especially at higher scan rates in the case of G₄ didendron based on AB₂ monomer and G₂ didendron based on AB₄ monomer. Despite the fact that AB₄ building blocks are more rigid, the effective encapsulation in both these dendrimers are similar. This result is attributed to the three dimensional disposition of the branching points in the AB₄ monomer.