The vibrational spectra of the elementoorganic starburst dendrimers

The main features of vibrational spectra of starburst dendrimers have been analyzed for the first time. Their spectral pattern, in general, is determined by the ratio of a number of terminal groups to a number of repeating units. This ratio tends to m(r) - 1 (m(r) - branching functionality of repeating unit), and becomes constant, when the generation number of the starburst dendrimer increases higher than 3-5. IR and Raman spectra of twelve generations of the phosphorus-containing dendrimers are represented and interpreted on the basis of the calculation of frequencies of the normal vibrations and band intensities in the IR spectra of 'molecules' terminated by dangling methyl groups, which are the fragments of the dendrimer molecule. Tailored spectra of these fragments are then compared with experimental spectra and satisfactory similarity has been obtained. Experimental spectra of generations higher than 4 are very similar, according to the theoretical approach. The results can be used for the analysis of the chemical and physical transformations in starburst dendrimers. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.