Sugars within a hydrophobic scaffold: glycodendrimers from polyphenylenes.

A new glycodendrimer type has been introduced that is designed on the basis of shape-persistent polyphenylene dendrimers. The sugar installation occurs not only on the dendrimer surface but also within the hydrophobic internal scaffold. The synthesis has been accomplished via both convergent and divergent routes by employing the Schmidt glycosylation and the Diels-Alder reaction. This new glycodendrimer has been found to exhibit water-solubility, while conserving hydrophobicity of the interior environment despite the incorporation of sugars.