Dendrimer/inorganic nanomaterial composites: Tailoring preparation, properties, functions, and applications of inorganic nanomaterials with dendritic architectures

Inorganic nanomaterials have a variety of fascinating properties and a wide range of promising applications. However, they often suffer from instability and poor processibility. To solve it, dendrimers, a special family of macromolecules having a unique three-dimensional architecture, provide one of the excellent solutions. In addition, the site-selective functionalization of the specific elements in the dendritic structure endows the nanohybrid system new functions and applications. Inspired by such ideas, a variety of dendrimer/inorganic nanomaterial composites have been designed and exploited. This review article selects a number of representative examples, and illustrates their preparation, characterization, properties, and applications. The influence and the unique features that originate from the introduced dendritic structures are particularly discussed.