Dendrimer

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Structurally

**Definition:** A polymeric molecule which has a highly-branched, three-dimensional architecture. Dendrimers are synthesized from monomers and new branches are added in discrete steps to form a tree-like architecture. A high level of synthetic control is achieved through step-wise reactions and purification at each step to regulate the size, architecture, functionality and monodispersity of the molecules. These polymers have desirable pharmacokinetic properties and a polyvalent array of surface groups that make them potential drug delivery vesicles.

**Synonyms:** - Cascade Molecule