Gold-containing dendrimers: A new class of macromolecules

The synthesis of dendrimers possessing gold atoms on the surface or inside the internal layers is reported. They have been shown to be precursors to mixed gold-transition metal cluster-containing dendrimers, which represent a new class of hybrid materials. The latter species are rather soluble in common solvents and can be characterized by spectroscopic methods. Moreover, gold-containing dendrimers are useful for making gold nanoparticles, which have very interesting electronic, optical, and catalytic properties.