Orthogonal, convergent syntheses of dendrimers based on melamine with one or two unique surface sites for manipulation.

An orthogonal, convergent route for the introduction of substoichiometric numbers of latent surface sites into dendrimers based on melamine is used to prepare targets that display one or two Boc-protected amines on the periphery. Asymmetry is the result of the stepwise incorporation of functionalized and unfunctionalized dendrons onto the triazine cores, a highly selective process due to the different reactivities of the substituted triazines. The routes to the dendrons rely on iterative reactions of the growing dendrons with triazine cores and diamine linkers. p-Aminobenzylamine is used as a linking group to avoid functional group interconversions or protecting group manipulations. Addition of the benzylamine group to the monochlorotriazine of the dendron proceeds cleanly leaving a less reactive aniline for subsequent reaction with trichlorotriazine. The routes to these targets proceed in 5 or 6 linear steps (11 or 12 total steps) in 40% overall yield. The unique surface sites can be deprotected and subjected to additional chemistries. Reaction of the monofunctionalized dendrimer with trichlorotriazine yields the desired dimer, a molecule whose increased size is evident from light scattering and tapping mode atomic force microscopy, and corroborated with computation.