Covalent and noncovalent films made up of sulfonimide-based dendrimers

Dendrimers are unique macromolecules composed of branched monomers that are characterized by monodispersity, biocompatibility, and multivalent surfaces and are synthesized by the stepwise addition of repetitive units. Over recent years, dendrimers have been attractive materials as detecting agents, targeting components, imaging agents, or pharmaceutically active compounds. This study demonstrates the possibility of the formation and transfer of thin sulfonimide dendrimer films of different generations to solid surfaces using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The surface of sulfonimide dendrimers was functionalized with naphthalene end groups (from 4 to 64 groups). The developed noncovalent and covalent films showed the expected different contact angles due to the presence of the naphthyl groups attached to the dendrimer side, which can bond intramolecularly or intermolecularly. Changing the number of naphthyl groups allows control of the hydrophobic properties of the films, providing an opportunity to create two types of films with covalent and noncovalent bonding. The difference in contact angle between the 2nd and 5th generations of dendrimers was approximately 33°. The low-cost formation of such transparent water-repellent film imparting water repellency to a substrate while maintaining its inherent properties, such as color and morphology, can protect glass and painted surfaces from excessive humidity.