Sensitive Chemical and Biological Sensors Based on Phosphorus Dendrimers

Dendrimers are a special type of ball-shaped hyperbranched polymers consisting of branched monomers organized stepwise around a multifunctional core. They possess many reactive functions, and they are easily accessible as they are located on the surface of the dendrimers. By modifying their terminal functions, it is possible to change the specificities of dendrimers to give them the desired properties. Dendrimers have been used as catalysts, in diverse fields of nanomedicine, and for the elaboration or modification of materials. The internal structure of dendrimers should be carefully chosen depending on the sought-after properties. Poly(phosphorhydrazone) (PPH) dendrimers possess a relatively rigid and hydrophobic internal structure and an easily functionalized surface, which make them appealing in the field of materials. Indeed, they can be used as a matrix, as glue for stabilizing multilayers, or as multifunctional tools. This review describes the use of PPH dendrimers and dendrons (dendritic wedges) for elaborating sensitive chemical, electrochemical, and biological sensors.