Aquatic self-assembly of sixteen subunits into a 39-kDa dendrimer.

ABSTRACT: We have developed the 8-(m-acetylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine (mAG) scaffold for the self-assembly of supramolecules in water and for the synthesis of self-assembled dendrimers (SADs) in organic media. Previously, reported mAG assemblies showed promising characteristics for the construction of SADs. Yet, none of these SADs had large enough dendrons to reach a fractal geometry characteristic of high-generation dendrimers. Here we present the synthesis as well as the molecular and supramolecular characterization of a fourth-generation hydrophilic self-assembled hexadecameric dendrimer [mAGD(4)(OH)(16)](16)·3KI (3(16)) with a size and shape akin to those of globular proteins. The diameter of 3(16) (5.0 nm) was measured by pulsed field gradient NMR and dynamic light scattering experiments, which

SUBMITTER: Rivera LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3036791 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature