Effects of site encapsulation on electrochemical behavior of redox-active core dendrimers

Dendrimers are potentially useful for encapsulation of core moieties. Although the conformation that a dendrimer assumes around a core moiety cannot be directly determined, the effect of increasing dendrimer size on the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the core has been documented. Specifically, studies of electroactive core dendrimers have shown attenuation of electron transfer rates with increasing dendrimer size, which is an indication of encapsulation. However, in two recent, independent reports of electroactive core dendrimers, electron transfer rates are not attenuated as the dendrimer size increases. These resorts illustrate the caution that must be taken when inferring conformation from primary structure in dendritic macromolecules.