Janus-Dendrimer-Mediated Formation of Crystalline Virus Assemblies

Amphiphilic dendrimers have been shown to self-assemble with nanosized protein particles (viruses) to form highly ordered hierarchical assemblies. Here we present Janus-type dendrimers that have been synthesized from Newkome-type dendrons with hydrophilic spermine groups and hydrophobic Percec-type dendrons. These amphiphilic dendrimers bind electrostatically on the surface of virus particles and co-assemble into crystalline complexes with a lattice constant (a = 42 nm) comparable to the size of the virus particles. Small-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy show that the complexes have a face-centered cubic structure (space group Fm3̅m) and remarkable long-range order. Results indicate that amphiphilic dendrimers can be utilized to create inclusion body mimicking nanostructures.