Hyperbranched polymers and dendrimers as templates for organic/inorganic hybrid nanomaterials

This paper reviews the recent research and development of hyperbranched polymers (HPs) and dendrimers, and their use as templates for organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials. Hyperbranched polymers (HPs) are highly branched macromolecules with three-dimensional globular structures featuring unique properties such as low viscosity, high solubility, and a large number of terminal functional groups compared to their linear analogs. They are easily prepared by (1) condensation polymerization, (2) self-condensing vinyl copolymerization (SCVCP), and (3) ring-opening multibranch polymerization methods. Organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials are synthesized by a template approach using HPs/dendrimers. Monometallic, bimetallic (alloy and core/shell), semiconductor, and metal oxide nanoparticles have been prepared by this route. The dendrimer component of these composites serves not only as a template for preparing the nanoparticles but also as a stabilizer for the nanoparticles.