Effect of dendrimeric composition on the removal of pyrene from water

Several closely related branched structures related to the well-established benzyl ether dendrimers were tested as hosts for the removal of pyrene from water. Fluorescence spectroscopy based complexation studies showed that the first generation benzyl ether dendrimers removed on average 94 % of pyrene from a saturated aqueous solution after 30 min. By contrast, branched systems containing modified benzyl ether or cyclohexane functional groups removed between 0 and 75 % of pyrene at the same time point while systems with benzyl amine resulted in a 77 % decrease in pyrene. This selectivity eroded over two days after which time all dendrimeric types removed pyrene to approximately the same extent. Inclusion constants of 10(9)–10(11) M(−1) were calculated for the branched systems studied.