Rheology of carbosilane dendrimers with various types of end groups

The rheological properties of high-generation carbosilane dendrimers carrying different kinds of terminal groups are studied. It is shown that the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of dendrimers and the high-temperature relaxation transition in dendrimers are interrelated and result from the reversible breakdown of the supramolecular structure formed by the system of contacts of exterior shells of dendrimers. The strength of the supramolecular structure is dependent on the specific interaction of terminal groups of dendrimers and their mobility. The dendrimers under study demonstrate the dualism of macromolecule-particle properties: They behave as both polymer melts and colloidal systems.