Design, Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Functional Amphiphilic Metallodendrimers

A new family of alkynylated, amphiphilic dendrimers consisting of amidoamine linkers connected to 5,5'-functionalized 2,2'-bipyridine cores has been developed and evaluated in the formation of metallodendrimers of different generations and in self-assembly protocols. A convergent synthetic strategy was applied to provide dumbbell-shaped amphiphilic dendrimers, where the 2,2'-bipyridine cores could be coordinated to Fe^II centers to afford corresponding metallodendrimers. The ability of the metallic- and non-metallic dendritic structures to self-assemble into functional supramolecular aggregates were furthermore evaluated in aqueous solution. Spherical aggregates with sizes of a few hundred nanometers were generally produced, where controlled disassembly of the metallodendrimers through decomplexation could be achieved.