Enlightening structure and properties of dendrimers by fluorescence depolarization

Dendrimers containing luminescent components , are particularly interesting since (i) luminescence signals offer a handle to better understand the dendritic structures and superstructures, (ii) cooperation among the photoactive components can allow the dendrimer to perform useful functions such as light harvesting, (iii) changes in the photophysical properties can be exploited for sensing purposes with signal amplification, and (iv) photochemical reactions can change the structure and other properties of dendrimers. Luminescent dendrimers are also suitable for fluorescence anisotropy measurements that can give information on specific properties, such as (a) rotational reorientation times and hydrodynamic properties, (b) individual molecule rotational isomerism, (c) local motions of subunits, (d) mechanisms and rate of delocalization of the excitation energy, and (e) hosting ability.