From linear to dendritic: Glycine is part of the predominant sequence in collagen proteins, and aspartate is similar to the repeating unit of poly(benzyl glutamate)s (PBG)s. Collagen and PBGs are linear peptides that self‐organize into fibers and form liquid‐crystalline phases and gel solvents. How would a molecule self‐assemble if it was built by arranging Gly‐Asp units in a dendritic way (see picture)? A dendron as both gelator and liquid crystal?

The interaction between poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLE) and calcite crystals was studied with AFM-based single molecule force spectroscopy. Block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and PLE were synthesized and covalently attached to the tip of an AFM cantilever. In desorption measurements the molecules were allowed to adsorb on the calcite crystal faces and afterward successively desorbed. The corresponding desorption forces were detected with high precision, showing for example a force transition between the two blocks. Because of its importance in the crystallization process in biominerals, the PLE-calcite interaction was investigated as a function of the pH as well as the calcium concentration of the aqueous solution. The sensitivity of the technique was underlined by resolving different interaction forces for calcite (104) and calcite (100).

Multilayer ultrathin films composed of nitro-containing diazoresin (NDR) as polycation and poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with carboxyl terminal groups (PAMAMC) (G = 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5) as polyanion were fabricated on mica by electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition. Subsequent UV irradiation converted the interlayer linkage from ionic to covalent. The films were characterized with UV−vis, FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the uniform multilayer films were formed. All the films with dendrimers of various generations as building blocks have a very smooth surface with a mean roughness of about 0.8−1.1 nm. The thickness of the PAMAMC−NDR bilayer in the films increases with the generation number of the dendrimer, but the average thickness of the dendrimer monolayer is smaller than the diameter of the ideal spherical model of dendrimers with an extended conformation of all branches. They are significantly compressed in multilayer films. The conversion of the ionic to covalent linkage dramatically improved the stability of the films with respect to polar solvent, strong electrolyte, and surfactant solutions.