Filamentous supramolecular structures with polyelectrolyte and cadmium sulfide

Abstract

In this study, a new type of filamentous structures consisting of a generation 9 poly(amido amine) dendrimer (G9) and CdS is reported. The linearity of the interconnected dendrimers is a result of the electrostatic repulsion between the multiply charged dendrimer macroions. Structures have been investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The internal structure of the CdS-fibers reveals information on the mechanism of the fiber formation. In contrast to previous systems with smaller generation poly(propylene imine)-dendrimers, Cd²⁺ is here found to be responsible for the interconnection of G9. Furthermore, more complex supramolecular structures were built by associating the CdS–dendrimer hybrid fibers with different ionic dyes, displaying the versatility of this system for future nanotechnology applications such as optoelectronics or energy conversion.