Dendrimers and miktoarm polymers: design, synthesis and applications

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Dendrimers constitute one of the fastest growing areas of macromolecular chemistry, and continue to attract widespread attention for applications in a variety of areas including biomedicine, catalysis, opto-electronics. Miktoarm polymers that are hyperbranched and star-shaped, share some of the important properties unique to dendrimers, and are also gaining significant attention in designing nanomaterials using supramolecular self-organization methodology. The diversity of dendritic and miktoarm macromolecular architectures that can be synthetically articulated offers a rich and fertile area of research. The availability of such macromolecules at the industrial scale is also essential, and has created another venue of intense activity. Through this CRD initiative, Polymer Source is going to establish a collaboration with McGill University to develop synthetic methodologies for architecture controlled dendrimers and miktoarm polymers. We have developed a simple and efficient divergent synthetic methodology to a variety of dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers. In this CRD grant, we propose to combine our extensive synthetic experience, knowledge of dendritic macromolecules, and the research facilities at McGill, to design and synthesize novel dendritic and miktoarm polymers, and study their structure-property relationships. Polymer Source has extensive market for these macromolecules. This research program offers unique opportunities to graduate students to gain challenging synthetic/characterization/applied chemistry experience, as well as learn unique lab to pilot scale manufacturing in Canada. With such an expertise, these students will have an edge, and will be sought-after candidates for jobs in the manufacturing/research industrial sector including Polymer Source.