Building synergistic nanoplatforms via dendrimer-small organic molecule handshakes: Heterocycle ligation as a promising strategy

Branching out in a cascade fashion from a central core and presenting multivalent cooperativity, dendrimers, with their well-defined architecture, received significant attention as unique nanomaterials in the last four decades. As attested by the plentiful literature, these exceptional molecular materials find several potential applications in diverse fields. We analysed the dendrimer literature under the light of the heteroatoms they encompass and asked a few simple questions – Dendrimer nanostructure and heteroatom units, are they correlated in defining dendrimer functionality? Can we synergise dendrimer-heteroatom interactions to tailor properties and hence expand the versatility in applications? And finally, is the translational research in dendrimers limited only by ample synthetic protocols and purification strategies or is there a dearth of detailed understanding of molecular interactions in these synthetic nanostructures? To find probable responses to these questions and avoid the imminent overlap with the existing reviews on dendrimers, we focus on heterocycle-containing dendrimers. We discuss on ‘dendrimer-heterocycle conjugates’ (DHC) with a view to substantiate the role of heterocycle as a synergistic unit in these functional nanomaterials. To catalogue the vast literature and provide facile discussions, DHCs are discussed under the dendrimer family they belong to. The multi-functional role of heterocycles is analysed, such as, ability to interact with the biological milieu or as π-conjugation extender, host for metal encapsulations, linker, catalyst, sensor and so on. Although the lack of a common ground for discussions limits the thorough and critical comparison of existing DHCs, the judicious choice of heteroatoms and their incorporation into dendrimers in an end-use guided rational approach could open up exciting possibilities for creating tailored synergies and accelerate the translational component in dendrimer research. [Display omitted] •Dendrimer-heterocycle conjugates (DHC) incorporate heterocycles in the dendrimer architecture and are highly tailorable.•The synergies between the dendrimer and molecular units bring in unique structural or functional properties.•DHCs find various applications, including as a carrier, drug, sensor, and catalyst.•The non-covalent interactions exerted by the heterocycles play a key role in different applications of DHC.•Heterocycles also help to extend π conjugation, thereby, enabling DHC to be used in op