Improvements in PAMAM dendrimer synthesis

PAMAM dendrimers have been synthesized using two separate acrylamide monomer compounds, (2-acryloylamino-ethyl)-carbamic acid tert-butyl ester (1) and N-cyanomethyl-acrylamide (18). These monomer units allow for facile synthesis of PAMAM dendrimers with decreased opportunity of defects. Zero and first generations dendrimers have been synthesized with compound 1 and zero through second generation dendrimers have been synthesized with compound 18. Various amine-terminated compounds were used as initiator cores from which the dendrimers were grown. Dendrimers were also grown using 3-[(2-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-ethyl)-(2-methoxycarbonyl-ethyl)-amino]-propionic acid methyl ester (9). After selective deprotection of this compound, normal amino acid coupling procedures were used to produce the next higher half-generation dendrimer.