Polymerization of a divalent/tetravalent metal-storing atom-mimicking dendrimer

Poly-phenylene jacketed tailor-made dendritic phenylazomethine ligand for nanoparticle synthesis

Synthesizing metal clusters with a specific number of atoms on a preparative scale for studying advanced properties is still a challenge. The dendrimer templated method is powerful for synthesizing size or atomicity controlled nanoparticles. However, not all atomicity is accessible with conventional dendrimers. A new tailor-made phenylazomethine dendrimer (DPA) with a limited number of coordination sites (n = 16) and a non-coordinating large poly-phenylene shell was designed to tackle this problem. The asymmetric dendron and adamantane core four substituted dendrimer (PPDPA16) were successfully synthesized. The coordination behavior confirmed the accumulation of 16 metal Lewis acids (RhCl₃, RuCl₃, and SnBr₂) to PPDPA16. After the reduction of the complex, low valent metal nanoparticles with controlled size were obtained. The tailor-made dendrimer is a promising approach to synthesize a variety of metal clusters with desired atomicity.

Unique Functions and Applications of Rigid Dendrimers Featuring Radial Aromatic Chains

Dendrimers, which are highly branched polymers and regarded as huge single molecules, are interesting substances from the aspect of not only polymer chemistry but also molecular chemistry. Various applications in materials science and life science have been investigated by taking advantage of the radially layered structures and intramolecular nanospaces of dendrimers. Most dendrimers have flexible structures that originate from their organic chains which contain many sp³-type atoms, while relatively rigid dendrimers composed only of sp²-type atoms have rarely been reported. It has been recently clarified that such rigid dendrimers exhibit a specific aromatic property not found in other materials. Dendritic phenylazomethines (DPAs), as one of the rigid dendrimers, have only sp²-type C and N atoms and possess a radially branched π-conjugation system in their own macromolecular chains. Such geometric and electronic structures heighten the electron density at the core of the dendrimer and induce an intramolecular potential gradient, which affords unique reactivities that lead to extraordinary functions. This unique property of the rigid dendrimers can be regarded as a new atypical electronic state based on radial aromatic chains not found in conventional aromatic compounds containing spherical aromaticity, Möbius aromaticity, metal aromaticity, and conductive polymers. Therefore, this as-yet-unknown characteristic is expected to contribute to the further development of fundamental and materials chemistry.In this Account, we highlight the rigid DPA dendrimers and their peculiar atomically precise and selective assembly behaviors that originate from the radial aromatic chains. One of the most noteworthy attainments based on the radial aromatic chains is the precise synthesis of a multimetallic multinuclear complex of a dendrimer containing a total of 13 elements. Next, we describe the electrochemical and catalytic functionalization of such multinuclear dendrimer complexes and the construction of supramolecular nanoarchitectures by the polymerization of DPAs. These complexes exhibit encapsulation-release switching of guests and additive-free catalytic ability similar to proteins and enzymes. Such selective and accurate control of the intramolecular assembly of guests and the intermolecular arrangement of hosts realized by the radial aromatic chains of dendrimers will enable supramolecular chemistry and biochemistry to be linked from a new aspect. In addition, the multimetallic multinuclear complexes of dendrimers afford a novel approach to precisely synthesize sub-nanoparticles with ultrasmall particle sizes (1 nm) that have been technically difficult to obtain by conventional nanotechnology. We discuss the method for the synthesis of these sub-nanoparticles with well-controlled atomicity and composition using DPA complexes as a template and recent advances to reveal their specific physical and chemical properties. These results suggest that the unique electronic states induced in such radial aromatics could play an important role in the development of next-generation chemistry.

UV-curable hyperbranched polyester sealant with tunable mechanical properties

Different types of wounds have different requirements of a wound sealant. One of the requirements of concern is the adaptability of the mechanical properties of biomaterials to native tissues. However, the mechanical properties of current sealant are untunable or adjustable in a small range normally. Therefore, the scope of application of these sealant is limited. In this study, we developed hyperbranched polyester (HBP)-based UV-curable sealant with tunable mechanical properties. This sealant was cured under UV-light for 2 minutes and exhibited strong adhesion with tissues. The shear adhesive strength of it to the porcine skin ranged between 20-30 kPa, which was higher than the fibrin glue (∼10 kPa). Moreover, the elastic modulus of the sealant in a tensile test ranged between 27-54 MPa, depending on the degree of acrylation of the HBPs. Additionally, we assessed the biocompatibility of the sealant by co-culturing it with mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) for 7 days and discovered that the cell viability was unaffected. This sealant with a tunable elastic modulus might be a promising candidate for treating wounds with different elastic moduli.

Epitaxially Grown Ultra-Flat Self-Assembling Monolayers with Dendrimers

Mono-molecular films formed by physical adsorption and dendrimer self-assembly were prepared on various substrate surfaces. It was demonstrated that a uniform dendrimer-based monolayer on the subnanometer scale can be easily constructed via simple dip coating. Furthermore, it was shown that an epitaxially grown monolayer film reflecting the crystal structure of the substrate (highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG)) can also be formed by aligning specific conditions.

Solution-phase synthesis of Al13- using a dendrimer template

Superatoms, clusters that mimic the properties of elements different to those of which they are composed, have the potential to serve as building blocks for unprecedented materials with tunable properties. The development of a method for the solution-phase synthesis of superatoms would be an indispensable achievement for the future progress of this research field. Here we report the fabrication of aluminum clusters in solution using a dendrimer template, producing Al13-, which is the most well-known superatom. The Al13- cluster is identified using mass spectrometry and scanning transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to measure the binding energies. The superatomic stability of Al13- is demonstrated by evaluating its tendency toward oxidation. In addition, the synthesis of Al13- in solution enables electrochemical measurements, the results of which suggest oxidation of Al13-. This solution-phase synthesis of Al13- superatoms has a significant role for the experimental development of cluster science.