A covalent chemistry approach to giant macromolecules with cylindrical shape and an engineerable interior and surface

This article divides the synthetic routes leading to dendronized polymers into two main categories (attach-to and macromonomer) and compares their respective advantages and disadvantages. It gives an overview on the kind of structures presently available and also spans the bridge to both polymers and molecular objects decorated with only a few dendrons and to the structurally related, but less defined polymers with hyperbranched side chains. The presently observed shift from mere synthetic issues to more application-driven research on dendronized polymers is reflected in corresponding chapters which highlight some important developments in this direction.