Intramolecular Dynamics of Dendrimers under Excluded-Volume Conditions

Abstract

The dilute-solution dynamical properties of dendrimers in a good solvent are derived in the framework of the Rouse−Zimm approach. On the basis of a normal-coordinates treatment with preaveraged hydrodynamic interaction, we obtain the spectrum of relaxation times and some dynamical observables such as the viscoelastic complex modulus and the dynamic structure factor with its first cumulant. Since the latter quantity can also be calculated without preaveraging the hydrodynamic interaction, we can assess the accuracy of this approximation. The effect of both the structural symmetry and of the excluded-volume interactions on the intramolecular dynamics is discussed and the qualitative similarities with the effect of local stiffness are pointed out.