ABSTRACT
Dendrimers are synthesized either by a divergent method or a convergent one. In these methods, starting from a multifunctional core molecule, the dendrimer grows outward. The core molecule itself reacts with monomeric units containing a single reactive and two non-reactive groups, thus yielding the first-generation dendrimer. Subsequently, the new periphery of the growing dendrimer is activated to react with additional monomers. Thus, cascade reactions are the corner-stone of dendrimer synthesis just like in case of solid-phase peptide synthesis. Dendrimers have been developed into assemblies such as monolayers, multilayers, vesicles, micelles, and microcapsules for constructing advanced biomaterials for various medical and non-medical applications. Further, modified and unmodified dendrimers have been employed for constructing these assemblies. Among the dendrimer assemblies, the multilayered assemblies synthesized by the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of dendrimers have recently gained special attention due to their facile preparation and versatility with respect to their structure and function.
