Organic dendrimers are of interest in a variety application such as drug delivery, chemical sensing, imaging, and even agrochemical delivery. The diversity of applications arises from the ability to tune the physical and chemical properties of the core, inner shell, and molecular surface (i.e., terminal functional groups). Similarly, dendritic (i.e., branched) metal NPs have received much focus due to their fascinating electronic, catalytic, and optical properties in which these properties can be tuned by changing the size, shape, and composition of the nanoparticle. Unlike organic dendrimers, many dendritic metal nanostructures suffer from asymmetric and inhomogeneous branching; thus, the properties of the structures are not as well controlled. Recently, the Skrabalak group demonstrated that sequential seed-directed overgrowth is a diverse synthetic route to highly symmetric dendritic structures. Here, we present new routes to systematically control the structure of a metal dendrimer’s terminal group by introducing kinetic control to sequential seed-directed overgrowth. By changing the rate of precursor reduction and/or the degree of surface passivation, the structures of the terminal group can be controlled which, in turn, promotes specific chemical and physical properties. Although this work is demonstrated in a model Au/Pd system, the general principles of this method are expected to be applicable to a wide variety of metal dendritic systems.

Kinetically controlled sequential seeded growth as a route toward metal dendrimers

2019 Fall National Meeting

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