Novel Water‐Soluble Carbosilane Dendrimers: Synthesis and Biocompatibility

Abstract

Abstract A synthetic strategy has been developed for the preparation of new peripheral amine‐ or ammonium‐terminated carbosilane dendrimers of type n G‐[Si(OCH 2 CH 2 NMe 2 ) y ] x or n G‐[Si(OCH 2 CH 2 NMe 3 + I – ) y ] x , respectively. It consists of the alcoholysis of well‐known chlorosilane‐terminated dendrimers with N , N ‐dimethylethanolamine and the subsequent quaternization with MeI. All these systems are susceptible to hydrolysis, although the decomposition depends on concentration and dendrimer generation. Evaluation of dendrimer toxicities by phase‐contrast light microscopy and MTT assay were carried out, and evidence of dendrimer/oligonucleotide complex formation was carried out by gel electrophoresis. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)