Dendrimers

Dendrimers are repetitively branched molecules typically symmetric around the core, often adopting a spherical three-dimensional morphology. A dendron usually contains a single chemically addressable group called the focal point. Dendrimers can be classified by generation, which refers to the number of repeated branching cycles that are performed during its synthesis. For example if a dendrimer is made by convergent synthesis, and the branching reactions are performed onto the core molecule three times, the resulting dendrimer is considered a third generation dendrimer. Each successive generation results in a dendrimer roughly twice the molecular weight of the previous generation. Higher generation dendrimers also have more exposed functional groups on the surface, which can later be used to customize the dendrimer for a given application.

The general structure of a dendrimer.