Macromolecules, Vol.42, No.19, 7571-7578, 2009
Tecto-Dendrimers: A Study of Covalently Bound Nanospheres
We present a computational and theoretical study of the size, shape, and solution properties of tecto-dendrimers. This class of polymer, composed of a central dendrimer with multiple dendrimers attached at its periphery, holds promise for multidrug delivery and environmental remediation applications. We find (i) that the maximum number of tecto-units that may be attached to the central core varies logarithmically with the ratio of the sizes of the component dendrimers, (ii) that the total density profiles display a minimum near the junction of the tecto-units with the core, (iii) that a simple expression captures the radius or gyration for a wide range of topologies, (iv) that the intrinsic viscosity displays a maximum as a function of the number of tecto-units attached, and (v) that the sphericity increases with increasing number of attached tecto-units. These results support the notion that the dendritic components can be viewed as independent building blocks for multifunctional devices.