Kinetic and thermodynamic study of the transfer of anionic polyamidoamine dendrimers across two immiscible liquids

The kinetics and thermodynamics for the phase transfer of carboxyl-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers across the water/dichloroethane interface were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A three phase junction was employed by inserting a cylindrical gold electrode through the liquid–liquid interface. The reversible redox species decamethylferrocene (DMFc) was used in the organic phase in order to promote dendrimer transfer. It was found that the electrochemical behaviour of DMFc at the gold/dichloroethane interface depends on the generation and concentration of the dendrimer species in the aqueous phase. In addition, it was observed that the electrochemically driven transfer of these macromolecules corresponds to a quasi-reversible process. The data obtained from thermodynamic studies indicate that dendrimers are transferred between the two phases under study by an entropy controlled process.