Abstract
Methods for synthesizing metal, metal oxide, and metal halide nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of dendrimers and dendrons are discussed in this review. There are numerous reviews describing dendrimers and their properties and applications in various areas of nanotechnologies, which indicates the growing interest of researchers in this unique class of monodisperse and highly branched macromolecules with highly ordered and controlled structures. The special magnetic, optical, and electronic properties of dendrimer (dendron) nanocomposites with NPs determine their prospects for application in medicine [54-58], in catalysis [32, 58-60], as molecular sensors [61-65], etc. Dendrimers successfully stabilize NPs, playing the role of a template (i.e., NPs are formed inside the dendrimer) or surfactants. In the latter case, dendrimers are stabilizing molecules, so the NPs are formed between the dendrimers. Functional dendrons can be also used as stabilizing molecules (1) directly during NP formation or (2) upon the subsequent functionalization of NPs via the replacement of the initial surfactants with dendrons. The unique advantages of dendrimers are completely fulfilled in those cases when the dendrimer design or reaction conditions allow either (1) the formation of very small NP sizes (for example, functional nanoclusters of gold and silver) or (2) control of the NP sizes, when dendrimer generation or other conditions vary, allowing one to control the properties of nanocomposites. Because the dendrimer (dendron) structure strongly differs from the structure of traditional surfactants, this leads to an opportunity of the targeted variation of solubility, functionality, and morphology of the nanocomposites based on dendrimers (dendrons) even when a dendrimer (dendron) plays the role of a surfactant.