Peptide and amide bond-containing dendrimers

Dendrimers are macromolecules comprised of a series of branches extending downward from an inner core. They are usually produced in an iterative sequence of reaction steps, in which each additional iteration leads to a higher generation material. Two categories of dendrimers, classified according to the role that amino acids play in their structure are covalent peptide dendrimers (Type I and II) and nocovalent peptide dendrimers (type III). Dendrimers can be synthesized using traditional approaches (convergent or divergent) as well as a modified approach (double-stage convergent). In general, there exists great potential for structural diversity among this intriguing class of polymers. Applications in the basic sciences as well as in fields such as therapeutics, tissue engineering, and environmental engineering are expected in the near future.