P-34 PAMAM Dendrimer Nanocontainers: A General Chemistry Capstone Laboratory Experiment using Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials, such as dendrimers, are currently being evaluated for new cancer treatments because of their unique size, properties, and reactivities. We have developed a General Chemistry laboratory experiment that utilizes PAMAM dendrimers to entrap chemical cargo and then deliver it via a controlled release reaction similar to novel cancer treatments being explored by researchers. A Generation 2-PAMAM Dendrimer with octyl surface groups (octyl-dendrimer) was used to transfer transition metal ions from an aqueous solution into a non-polar solvent, dichloromethane. The transition metal was then released from the dendrimer structure by lowering the pH of the solvent mixture. Students evaluated the color and location of three different transition metals in water and dichloromethane solvents mixtures with and without the octyl-dendrimer. This experiment provides a capstone activity that highlights a variety of General Chemistry topics along with an introduction to Organic Chemistry. This laboratory experience provides introduction to topics such as organic nanomaterials, dendrimers, transition metals, and metal-ligand interactions while reinforcing concepts relating to solvent polarity, pH, miscibility, density, spectroscopy, solubility, kinetics, and deductive reasoning from experimental observations