Cascade Molecules (Dendrimers)

Abstract

Cascade molecules or dendrimers (from Greek: dendron = tree and meros = part) have been known for about two decades. Dendric macromolecules are synthetic 3-dimensional macromolecules prepared in a stepwise way from simple branched monomer units, whose nature and functionality can be easily controlled and varied. Their structure results in previously unknown or improved physical and chemical properties as compared to the common linear polymers. Dendrimers are now one of the most important nanometer-scale building blocks for the construction of nanoscale systems, molecular devices, advanced drug-delivery systems, etc. These nanodevices are presently undergoing tests to determine their biological activity as anticancer drugs. Dendrimers are polymers, but very different from, e.g., the well-known nylon polymer: nylon and all other plastics have very poorly defined chemical structures, which can be described as an average molecular structure with constant bulk properties. On the other hand, dendrimers are precisely defined chemical structures with precisely defined bonds between atoms. Thus, dendrimers are ideal building blocks for creating, e.g., a biologically active nanomaterial.