A Dendritic Amphiphile for Efficient Control of Biomimetic Calcium Phosphate Mineralization.

The phase behavior of a dendritic amphiphile containing a Newkome-type dendron as the hydrophilic moiety and a cholesterol unit as the hydrophobic segment is investigated at the air-liquid interface. The amphiphile forms stable monomolecular films at the air-liquid interface on different subphases. Furthermore, the mineralization of calcium phosphate beneath the monolayer at different calcium and phosphate concentrations versus mineralization time shows that at low calcium and phosphate concentrations needles form, whereas flakes and spheres dominate at higher concentrations. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron diffraction confirm the formation of calcium phosphate. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction confirm the predominant formation of octacalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite. The data also indicate that the final products form via a complex multistep reaction, including an association step, where nano-needles aggregate into larger flake-like objects.

Vesicles from Amphiphilic Dumbbells and Janus Dendrimers: Bioinspired Self-Assembled Structures for Biomedical Applications.

The current review focuses on vesicles obtained from the self-assembly of two types of dendritic macromolecules, namely amphiphilic Janus dendrimers (forming dendrimersomes) and amphiphilic dumbbells. In the first part, we will present some synthetic strategies and the various building blocks that can be used to obtain dendritic-based macromolecules, thereby showing their structural versatility. We put our focus on amphiphilic Janus dendrimers and amphiphilic dumbbells that form vesicles in water but we also encompass vesicles formed thereof in organic solvents. The second part of this review deals with the production methods of these vesicles at the nanoscale but also at the microscale. Furthermore, the influence of various parameters (intrinsic to the amphiphilic JD and extrinsic-from the environment) on the type of vesicle formed will be discussed. In the third part, we will review the numerous biomedical applications of these vesicles of nano- or micron-size.

THF: an efficient electron donor in continuous flow radical cyclization photocatalyzed by graphitic carbon nitride.

Mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3 N4 ) was found to be an efficient heterogeneous photocatalyst for the metal-free radical cyclization of 2-bromo-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Reactions leading to functionalized cyclopentanes proceed under mild conditions and can be conducted in a continuous flow photoreactor. Compared to the batch reaction, the use of a continuous flow reactor resulted in a significant reduction in reaction time (complete conversion of 0.04 mmol of substrate in a batch was achieved after 4 h, whereas in a flow reactor the same amount of substrate was fully converted into a product within 40 min). Mechanistic studies of the reaction showed that THF plays not only the role of solvent, but is also a crucial hydrogen and electron donor.