Aggregation of 3,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol based dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers, and encapsulation of DR1 in such dendritic aggregates

The aggregation behavior of 3,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol based dendritic polymers through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between periphery situated variable number of OH groups was studied using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Size of the aggregates was found to be dependent on the generation number of dendrimers: generations 1–3 form aggregates above critical aggregation concentration (cac), while higher generations (4–5) aggregate even at concentrations much lower than cac. Encapsulation of the dye disperse red 1 (DR1) into dendrimer aggregates was accompanied by a blue shift in the UV–Vis absorption spectrum of DR1.