6.5 Nano-periodic Physico-Chemical Property Patterns
6.5.1 Historical Picoscale, Atomic Element Periodic Patterns
Contributing to Emergence of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
The emergence of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table (1869) classifying the fundamental
elemental building blocks of the universe, provided a central idea or dogma for a new
science. Much like the axioms for geometry, Newtonian physics, and Darwinian
biology, the area of traditional chemistry now had a central idea (dogma) upon
which this discipline could be systematically defined, unified, and grown. However,
history shows that many minor, yet important, documented periodic property patterns
were required for the elements that ultimately contributed to the final consolidation
and framework for Mendeelev’s Periodic Table [178]. A small sampling of these wellknown minor periodic element property patterns is given below:
• Elemental chemical and physical properties repeated in a series of periodic
intervals as a function of atomic weight both horizontally and vertically [166]
• Valency in the early elements appeared to increase as a function of atomic
weight
• Newland’s “law of octaves” [134, 166]
• Dobereiner’s “law of triads” [134, 166]
• De Chancourtois’ “telluric screw,” which demonstrated periodic property patterns that appeared to repeat or become similar after every 16 atomic weight
units
In a similar fashion, analogous nano-periodic property patterns are accumulating. Many have been documented in the literature and are described briefly in
Sect. 6.4.2. There is no doubt that collectively these nano-periodic property patterns
will eventually evolve into a grand, encompassing framework that should be
expected to define an ultimate version of a Mendeelev-like nano-periodic system.
A small sampling of examples is presented in the following section.
6.5.2 Intrinsic Dendrimer-Based Periodic Patterns of Chemical
Reactivity and Physical Size
Intrinsic viscosity [η] is a physical property (expressed in dL/g), which in essence is
the ratio of volume to mass. As the generation number increases and transition
occurs to a spherical shape, the volume of a spherical dendrimer increases in cubic
fashion while its mass increases exponentially; hence, the value of [η] must
decrease once a certain generation is reached. This prediction has now been
confirmed for many different dendrimer families [9, 116, 179]. Because of this
feature, the soft particle dendron/dendrimer-based, [S-1]-type nano-elements are
unique macromolecules that exhibit completely different physico-chemical
properties (i.e., nano-periodic property patterns) compared to compositionally
368
D.A. Tomalia
6.5.1 Historical Picoscale, Atomic Element Periodic Patterns
Contributing to Emergence of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
The emergence of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table (1869) classifying the fundamental
elemental building blocks of the universe, provided a central idea or dogma for a new
science. Much like the axioms for geometry, Newtonian physics, and Darwinian
biology, the area of traditional chemistry now had a central idea (dogma) upon
which this discipline could be systematically defined, unified, and grown. However,
history shows that many minor, yet important, documented periodic property patterns
were required for the elements that ultimately contributed to the final consolidation
and framework for Mendeelev’s Periodic Table [178]. A small sampling of these wellknown minor periodic element property patterns is given below:
• Elemental chemical and physical properties repeated in a series of periodic
intervals as a function of atomic weight both horizontally and vertically [166]
• Valency in the early elements appeared to increase as a function of atomic
weight
• Newland’s “law of octaves” [134, 166]
• Dobereiner’s “law of triads” [134, 166]
• De Chancourtois’ “telluric screw,” which demonstrated periodic property patterns that appeared to repeat or become similar after every 16 atomic weight
units
In a similar fashion, analogous nano-periodic property patterns are accumulating. Many have been documented in the literature and are described briefly in
Sect. 6.4.2. There is no doubt that collectively these nano-periodic property patterns
will eventually evolve into a grand, encompassing framework that should be
expected to define an ultimate version of a Mendeelev-like nano-periodic system.
A small sampling of examples is presented in the following section.
6.5.2 Intrinsic Dendrimer-Based Periodic Patterns of Chemical
Reactivity and Physical Size
Intrinsic viscosity [η] is a physical property (expressed in dL/g), which in essence is
the ratio of volume to mass. As the generation number increases and transition
occurs to a spherical shape, the volume of a spherical dendrimer increases in cubic
fashion while its mass increases exponentially; hence, the value of [η] must
decrease once a certain generation is reached. This prediction has now been
confirmed for many different dendrimer families [9, 116, 179]. Because of this
feature, the soft particle dendron/dendrimer-based, [S-1]-type nano-elements are
unique macromolecules that exhibit completely different physico-chemical
properties (i.e., nano-periodic property patterns) compared to compositionally
368
D.A. Tomalia