Supramolecular polymer chemistry: design, synthesis, characterization, and kinetics, thermodynamics, and fidelity of formation of self-assembled dendrimers

Dendrimers were synthesized in 10 steps from dendrons , bromobenzene and succinic anhydride. Tetraacids and were prepared in an analogous fashion. The aggregation of was studied in solution by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), vapor pressure osmometry (VPO), low angle laser light scattering (LLS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and by 1H NMR. The data are consistent with a stable, discrete hexameric aggregate for in methylene chloride, non-discrete polymeric aggregates for , , and , and monomers for all compounds in tetrahydrofuran and dimethyl sulfoxide. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies and mixing experiments confirmed the highly cooperative nature of the self-assembly process.