Synthesis and properties of carbosilane dendrimers of the third and sixth generations with the ethylene oxide surface layer in bulk and in monolayers at the air-water interface

A number of carbosilane dendrimers with the ethylene oxide surface layer was synthesized. The density of the surface layer determines their capability to form a physical network due to intermolecular entanglements. The specific interactions of the ethylene oxide fragments exert a minor effect on the thermal behavior of dendritic macromolecules. The compression-expansion isotherms of Langmuir films together with Brewster angle microscopy data show that an increase in the core rigidity with increasing the generation number favors the formation of ordered molecular multilayers. The appearance of a pronounced hysteresis in the compression-expansion cycles is a common phenomenon for amphiphilic dendrimers of high generations.