Supramacromolecular assembly driven by complementary molecular recognition

The template-promoted supramolecular assembly of 4 poly(amidoamine) (G4-PAMAM) dendrimer using complementary molecular recognition elements is described. Spherical micelle-like assemblies were formed when the carboxylic acid of the linear polymer interacted with the amino groups of the dendrimer to reversibly anchor the polymers to the dendrimer surface. The formation of spherical supramolecular assembly was also verified by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was observed that the supramolecular assemblies on the surface are not perfectly spherical but exist in a flattened state. The benefits of using a templated self-assembly approach includes the ability to fine-tune the size of the resulting spherical micelle by altering the length and composition of the polymers and increasing or decreasing the size and composition of the core.