Nanocomposites of dendritic polymers

Abstract

In the present invention, an inorganic reactant is, or reactants are, localized with respect to a dendritic polymer by physical constraint within or by a non-covalent conjugation to the dendritic polymer. The localized inorganic reactant or reactants is/are subsequently transformed to form a reaction product which is immobilized with respect to the dendritic polymer. This immobilization occurs on a nanoscopic scale as a consequence of the combined effects of structural, chemical and physical changes without having covalent bonds between the product(s) and the dendritic container and results in new compositions of matter called dendritic nanocomposites. The resulting nanocomposite material can be used to produce revolutionary products such as water soluble elemental metals, with specific applications including magnetic resonance imaging, catalytic, magnetic, optical, photolytic and electroactive applications.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 - A metal-containing complex exhibiting improved solvent dispersibility, comprising a metal compound, which is substantially insoluble in a solvent, complexed with a dendritic polymer which is soluble in the solvent.  
     
     
         2 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is a metal sulfide.  
     
     
         3 - The complex of  claim 2 , wherein the metal of the metal sulfide is cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, iron, silver, cobalt, mercury, bismouth or nickel.  
     
     
         4 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is a metal halogenide.  
     
     
         5 - The complex of  claim 4 , wherein the metal of the metal halogenide is silver.  
     
     
         6 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is a metal hydroxide.  
     
     
         7 - The complex of  claim 6 , wherein the metal of the metal hydroxide is silver, aluminum, copper or cobalt.  
     
     
         8 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is elemental metal.  
     
     
         9 - The complex of  claim 8 , wherein the elemental metal is silver, copper, gold, iron, cobalt or nickel.  
     
     
         10 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the dendritic polymer is a dendrimer.  
     
     
         11 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the dendritic polymer is a polyamidoamine dendrimer.  
     
     
         12 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the dendritic polymer is at least a fourth generation polyamidoamine dendrimer.  
     
     
         13 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is a copper oxide.  
     
     
         14 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is uranyl phosphate.  
     
     
         15 - The complex of  claim 1 , wherein the dendritic polymer is hydrophobically modified.  
     
     
         16 - The complex of  claim 15 , wherein the dendritic polymer is hydrophobically modified by reaction with an epoxy alkane.  
     
     
         17 - The complex of  claim 16 , wherein the metal compound is a metal sulfide, and wherein the metal is copper, silver, cadmium, iron, nickel, manganese, calcium, gadolinium, or aluminum.