Single-Component Physical Hydrogels of Dendritic Molecules

Hydrogels are hydrophilic, three-dimensional networks able to imprison large amounts of water and are largely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Hydrogels are frequently obtained from hydrophilic polymers, either natural, biohybrid, or synthetic. Owing to their peculiar structure, dendrimers can be considered prospective building blocks for hydrogel networks. This review gathers the use of different types of amphiphilic dendritic structures able to generate physical hydrogels alone. Such dendritic structures comprise dendrimers, Janus dendrimers, and dendrons. The first part concerns different types of positively charged phosphorus dendrimers used to generate hydrogels, which are also suitable to form fibers, and for encapsulating diverse substances, or forming complexes with genetic materials for their slow delivery. The second part concerns PAMAM dendrimers functionalized with collagen mimetics. The third part concerns amphiphilic Janus dendrimers, whereas the fourth part displays different types of amphiphilic dendrons and their use, in particular in the fields of materials and drug delivery.

Automated summary

This article reviews different types of amphiphilic dendritic structures, including dendrimers, Janus dendrimers, and dendrons, which can individually generate physical hydrogels. It has been found that these structures can be prospective building blocks for hydrogel networks. The first part introduces positively charged phosphorus dendrimers used to generate hydrogels, which are also suitable for fiber formation, encapsulating substances, and forming complexes for slow delivery of genetic materials. The second part discusses PAMAM dendrimers functionalized with collagen mimetics. The third part focuses on amphiphilic Janus dendrimers, while the fourth part displays different types of amphiphilic dendrons and their use in the fields of materials and drug delivery.