A Review on Synthesis, Properties, of Liquid Crystal Dendrimers

This review provides brief information concerning with the dendrimer. The supramolecular organization of selected examples of liquid-crystalline dendrimers within lamellar, columnar and nematic phases is reported. It is shown that tuning of the mesomorphic structure can be achieved by an appropriate molecular design depending upon the chemical nature of the terminal mesogenic groups, dendritic core and dendrimer generation. The pseudospherical shape of a dendrimer arises from its structure, which consists of an internal region (the core) which is connected to repeating units constituting a radial branching pattern.

Automatic Recognition of Dendritic Solidification Structures: DenMap

Dendrites are the predominant solidification structures in directionally solidified alloys and control the maximum length scale for segregation. The conventional industrial method for identification of dendrite cores and primary dendrite spacing is performed by time-consuming laborious manual measurement. In this work we developed a novel DenMap image processing and pattern recognition algorithm to identify dendritic cores. Systematic row scan with a specially selected template image over an image of interest is applied via a normalised cross-correlation algorithm. The DenMap algorithm locates the exact dendritic core position with a 98% accuracy for a batch of SEM images of typical as-cast CMSX-4® microstructures in under 90 s per image. Such accuracy is achieved due to a sequence of specially selected image pre-processing methods. Coupled with statistical analysis the model has the potential to gather large quantities of structural data accurately and rapidly, allowing for optimisation and quality control of industrial processes to improve mechanical and creep performance of materials.

Both increasing the Iso-to-Col transition and lowering the solidifying temperatures of a triazine-based dendrimer by introducing CN polar groups in the dendritic core

The CN polarity in the linker effectively broadens the mesogenic range and lowers the solidifying temperature of the dendrimer.

Complex Polymeric Architectures Self-Assembling in Unimolecular Micelles: Preparation, Characterization and Drug Nanoencapsulation

Unimolecular polymeric micelles are a class of single-molecule amphiphilic core-shell polymeric architectures, where the hydrophobic core is well stabilized by the hydrophilic shell, avoiding intermolecular core-core interactions. Multi-arm copolymers with a dendritic core, as well as hyperbranched and comb-like polymers, can form unimolecular micelles easily. In this review, examples of polymers able to form detectable unimolecular micelles will be presented, summarizing the analytical techniques used to characterize the unimolecular micelles and discriminate them from other supramolecular aggregates, such as multi-micelle aggregates. Unimolecular micelles are suitable for the nanoencapsulation of guest molecules. Compared to traditional supramolecular micelles, unimolecular micelles do not disassemble under dilution and are stable to environmental modifications. Recent examples of their application as drug delivery systems, endowed with increased stability and transport properties, will be discussed.