The formation of organized adsorption films by amphiphilic AB-type surface-
block dendrimers (generation G = 3,4) with hydroxyl group/n-hexyl group ter
minals on solid substrates has been investigated by atomic force microscopy
, contact angle, and surface plasmon resonance. Then the surface characteri
stics have been compared with those of symmetric poly(amido amine) dendrime
r (PAMAM). While the adsorption film of PAMAM is rather flat, surface-block
dendrimers form bilayers and their accumulation because of their amphiphil
ic character. Dendrimers in bilayer, which is formed by pairing between hyd
rophobic blocks, take 'pancake' structure. Adsorption film surface has hydr
ophilic character, suggesting the hydrophilic OH terminal block faced to th
e solution. The amount of adsorption is more for the third-generation dendr
imer than for the fourth-generation dendrimer, and the adsorption proceeds
more for surface-block dendrimers than for PAMAM in relation to the hydroph
obicity of dendrimers. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.