Dispersants: Polymers: Dendrimers
Dendrimers are a soft, globular nanoparticles that fall into the category of dendritic (i.e. tree-like) polymers. They consist of a central core and regular, repeating branches emanating from that core. The choice of core and outer branch material determine the physical properties of the dendrimer, and their well-defined, fractal-like structure leads to a wide variety of exciting applications including drug delivery, water purification, and oil dispersion.
The most studied of these molecules are the Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers. These dendrimers are ideal for the use of oil dispersants due to the fact that they are composed of a hydrophobic core and positively charged surface amino groups. |