Two series of dendronized polymers (DPs) of generations g = 1-4 with different levels of dendritic substitution (low and high) and a solvatochromic probe at g = 1 level are used to study their swelling behavior in a collection of solvents largely differing in polarity as indicated by the Kamlet-Taft parameters. This is done by measuring the UV-Vis spectra of all samples in all solvents and determining the longest wavelength absorptions (λmax). The λmax values fall into a range defined by the extreme situations, when the solvatochromic probe is either fully surrounded by solvent or completely shielded against it. The former situation is achieved in a model compound and the latter situation is believed to be reached when in a poor solvent the dendritic shell around the backbone is fully collapsed. We observe that solvent penetration into the interior of the DPs decreases with increasing g and does so faster for the more highly dendritically substituted series than for the less highly substituted one. Interestingly, the swelling of the more highly substituted DP series already at the g = 4 level has decreased to approximately 20% of that at the g = 1 level which supports an earlier proposal that high g DPs can be viewed as nano-sized molecular objects. Furthermore, when comparing these two DP series with a g = 1-6 series of dendrimers investigated by Fréchet et al. it becomes evident that even the less substituted series of DPs is much less responsive to solvent changes as assessed by the solvatochromic probe than the dendrimers, suggesting the branches around the (polymeric) core in DPs to be more densely packed compared to those in dendrimers, thus, establishing a key difference between these two dendritic macromolecules.
Dr. Baozhong Zhang
Main content
Bao was a senior scientist and lecturer in our group from March 2008 until August 2014.
Publications
27 publications
Solvatochromism of dye-labeled dendronized polymers of generation numbers 1-4: comparison to dendrimers
Chemical Science, vol. 7, pp. 4644-4652, Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016.
Exploring the Loading Capacity of Generation Six to Eight Dendronized Polymers in Aqueous Solution
Nadica Maltar-Strmecki, Hao Yu, Daniel Messmer, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and Dariush Hinderberger
ChemPhysChem, vol. 17: no. 17, pp. 2767-2772, Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2016.
Modeling Nanosized Single Molecule Objects: Dendronized Polymers Adsorbed onto Mica
Oscar Bertran, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter, Martin Kröger and Carlos Alemán
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, vol. 119: no. 7, pp. 3746-3753, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2015.
Dendronized Polymers: Molecular Objects between Conventional Linear Polymers and Colloidal Particles
A. Dieter Schlüter, Avraham Halperin, Martin Kröger, Dimitris Vlassopoulos, Gerhard Wegner and Baozhong Zhang
ACS Macro Letters, vol. 3: no. 10, pp. 991-998, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2014.
Synthesis of high generation dendronized polymers and quantification of their structure perfection
Hao Yu, A. Dieter Schlüter and Baozhong Zhang
Macromolecules, vol. 47: no. 13, pp. 4127-4135, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2014.
Effect of molecular architecture on single polymer adhesion
Sandra Kienle, Markus Gallei, Hao Yu, Baozhong Zhang, Stefanie Krysiak, Bizan N. Balzer, Matthias Rehahn, A. Dieter Schlüter and Thorsten Hugel
Langmuir, vol. 30: no. 15, pp. 4351-4357, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2014.
Interactions in dendronized polymers: Intramolecular dominates intermolecular
Esther Cordova-Mateo, Oscar Bertran, Baozhong Zhang, Dimitris Vlassopoulos, Rossana Pasquino, A. Dieter Schlüter, Martin Kröger and Carlos Aleman
Soft Matter, vol. 10: no. 7, pp. 1032-1044, Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014.
Single-Molecule Force Measurements by Nano-Handling of Individual Dendronized Polymers
Lucie Grebikova, Plinio Moroni, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and Michal Borkovec
ACS Nano, vol. 8: no. 3, pp. 2237-2245, Columbus, OH: American Chemical Society, 2014.
The viscosity law of dendronized linear polymers
B. Zhang, A. Kroeger, A. Dieter Schlüter and G. Wegner
Macromolecular Rapid Communications, vol. 34: no. 19, pp. 1537-1541, Weinheim: Wiley, 2013.
Sustained gastrointestinal activity of dendronized polymer-enzyme conjugates
Gregor Fuhrmann, Andrea Grotzky, Ruzica Lukic, Simon Matoori, Paola Luciani, Hao Yu, Baozhong Zhang, Peter Walde, A. Dieter Schlüter, Marc A. Gauthier and Jean-Christophe Leroux
Nature Chemistry, vol. 5: no. 7, pp. 582-589, London: Nature Publ. Group, 2013.
Computer Simulation of Fifth Generation Dendronized Polymers: Impact of Charge on Internal Organization
Oscar Bertran, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter, Martin Kröger and Carlos Aleman
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 117: no. 19, pp. 6007-6017, Washington, DC, USA: American Chemical Society, 2013.
Computer simulation of dendronized polymers: Organization and characterization at the atomistic level
Oscar Bertran, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter, Avraham Halperin, Martin Kröger and Carlos Aleman
RSC Advances, vol. 3: no. 1, pp. 126-140, London: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013.
Interactions between Individual Charged Dendronized Polymers and Surfaces
L. Grebikova, P. Maroni, L. Muresan, B.Z. Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and M. Borkovec
Macromolecules, vol. 46: no. 9, pp. 3603-3610, Washington, DC, USA: American Chemical Society, 2013.
Solvent induced phenomena in a dendronized linear polymer
Anja Kroeger, Baozhong Zhang, Christine Rosenauer, A. Dieter Schlüter and Gerhard Wegner
Colloid & polymer science, vol. 291: no. 12, pp. 2879-2892, Berlin: Springer, 2013.
Synthetic regimes due to packing constraints in dendritic molecules confirmed by labelling experiments
Baozhong Zhang, Hao Yu, A. Dieter Schlüter, Avraham Halperin and Martin Kröger
Nature Communications, vol. 4, pp. 1993, London: Nature Publishing Group, 2013.
Main-Chain Scission of a Charged Fifth-Generation Dendronized Polymer
Hao Yu, A. Dieter Schlüter and Baozhong Zhang
Helvetica Chimica Acta, vol. 95: no. 12, pp. 2399-2410, Zürich: Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2012.
Linear Viscoelastic Response of Dendronized Polymers
R. Pasquino, B. Zhang, R. Sigel, H. Yu, M. Ottiger, O. Bertran, C. Aleman, A. Dieter Schlüter and D. Vlassopoulos
Macromolecules, vol. 45: no. 21, pp. 8813-8823, Washington, D.C., USA: American Chemical Society, 2012.
Synthesis of Dendronized Polymers by a "n+2" Approach
Hao Yu, A. Dieter Schlüter and Baozhong Zhang
Macromolecules, vol. 45: no. 21, pp. 8555-8560, Washington, D.C., USA: American Chemical Society, 2012.
Loading and release capabilities of charged dendronized polymers revealed by EPR spectroscopy
Dennis Kurzbach, Daniel R. Kattnig, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and Dariush Hinderberger
Chemical Science, vol. 3: no. 8, pp. 2550-2558, Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012.
Non-charged, water soluble dendronized polymers
Baozhong Zhang and A. Dieter Schlüter
New Journal of Chemistry, vol. 36: no. 2, pp. 414-418, Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012.
Height and Width of Adsorbed Dendronized Polymers: Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy of Homologous Series
Baozhong Zhang, Roger Wepf, Martin Kröger, Avraham Halperin and A. Dieter Schlüter
Macromolecules, vol. 44: no. 17, pp. 6785-6792, Washington DC: American Chemical Society, 2011.
Immobilization of Peroxidase on SiO2 Surfaces with the Help of a Dendronized Polymer and the Avidin-Biotin System
Sara Fornera, Tobias E. Balmer, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and Peter Walde
Macromolecular Bioscience, vol. 11: no. 8, pp. 1052-1067, Weinheim: Wiley, 2011.
Assessing the Solution Shape and Size of Charged Dendronized Polymers Using Double Electron-Electron Resonance
Dennis Kurzbach, Daniel R. Kattnig, Baozhong Zhang, A. Dieter Schlüter and Dariush Hinderberger
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, vol. 2: no. 13, pp. 1583-1587, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2011.
Kinetics of Free Radical Polymerization of Spacerless Dendronized Macromonomers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
L.I. Costa, Giuseppe Storti, Massimo Morbidelli, X. Zhang, B. Zhang, E. Kasemi and A. Dieter Schlüter
Macromolecules, vol. 44: no. 11, pp. 4038-4048, Washington D.C.: American Chemical Society, 2011.
The Largest Synthetic Structure with Molecular Precision: Towards a Molecular Object
Baozhong Zhang, Roger Wepf, Karl Fischer, Manfred Schmidt, Sebastien Besse, Peter Lindner, Benjamin T. King, Reinhard Sigel, Peter Schurtenberger, Yeshayahu Talmon, Yi Ding, Martin Kröger, Avraham Halperin and A. Dieter Schlüter
Angewandte Chemie, vol. 50: no. 3, pp. 737-740, Weinheim, Germany: Wiley, 2011.
Large mechanical response of single dendronized polymers induced by ionic strength
Ionel Popa, Baozhong Zhang, Plinio Maroni, A. Dieter Schlüter and Michal Borkovec
Angewandte Chemie. International Edition, vol. 49: no. 25, pp. 4250-4253, Weinheim: Wiley, 2010.
Tuning Polymer Thickness: Synthesis and Scaling Theory of Homologous Series of Dendronized Polymers
Yifei Guo, Jacco D. van Beek, Baozhong Zhang, Martin Colussi, Peter Walde, Afang Zhang, Martin Kröger, Avraham Halperin and A. Dieter Schlüter
Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 131: no. 33, pp. 11841-11854, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2009.