First example of supramolecular assemblies in water of new amphiphilic glucose-persubstituted poly(amidoamine) dendrimers

We described in this work new glucose-persubstituted poly(amidoamine) dendr imers. The physicochemical properties of these new amphiphilic dendrimers w ere investigated in water, showing that these new amphiphilic dendrimers we re able to solubilizate increasing quantities of hydrophobic compounds (pyr ene or aromatic ketones) in water, depending on the number of microcavities in each dendrimer. These dendrimers were observed to behave like unimolecu lar micelles. For the first time the formation of aggregates of these carbo hydrate dendrimers in superstructures could be observed by electron microsc opy and light scattering. Moreover, it is the first example of asymmetric i nduction in the "pseudomicellar" solution of a chiral amphiphilic dendrimer : therefore, asymmetric reduction of the prochiral aromatic ketone (benzoyl cyclohexane) was achieved by NaBH4 with a chemical yield of 95% and an enan tiomeric excess of 50%.