Catanionic sugar derived surfactants, polymers and dendrimers: from molecules to targeted self-organized systems

In the course of our investigations of routes for general and convenient synthesis of amphiphiles derived from sugars, we reported new synthetic ways to prepare catanionic surfactants, polymers and dendrimers using unprotected lactose or lactobionic acid. Moreover we developed amphiphilic polymers and dendrimers bearing sugar polar heads. These compounds are of interest for their biological applications (mimics of natural ligands of proteins (e.g.: gp 120 of HIV), encapsulation, vectorization). (c) 2005 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.