Decorating step-by-step and independently the surface and the core of dendrons

Dendrons possessing one activated vinyl group at the core and several chlorine atoms at the end of the branches are used as starting materials to study the possibility to react independently the surface functions and the core function. In particular, the most powerful sequence of reactions for decorating them by organometallic complexes as end groups and amine or alcohol at the core has been determined. In the first step, phenol phosphines are grafted as end groups of the dendrons, and they can be used for the complexation of metals. However, these phosphines must be kept free when amines are used to react with the vinyl core in the next step. Depending on the type of phosphine end groups and on the type of function of the core (amine or alcohol), the complexation of ruthenium ([RuCl2(p-cymene)]2) and rhodium ([RhCl(COD)]2) derivatives by the phosphine end groups can occur without side reaction at the core.

Graphical abstractDendrons are decorated step-by-step by several types of functional groups, in particular by phosphines at the end of the branches, then by amines at the core, and finally by metals complexed on the end groups. Such methodology affords nanometric “Christmas tree”-like compounds.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide