Structure of star-burst dendrimers: A comparison between small angle x-ray scattering and computer simulation results

The shape and the internal structure of starburst dendrimers in dilute solution was investigated using SAXS and computer simulation. Various quantities characterizing the structure were compared such as the form factor, pair correlation functions, radial density profiles, and dendrimer dimensions. It was observed that the segment density profiles obtained from the scattering data and from the computer simulation shows a homogeneous segment density in the center region. The simulation gives direct access to γ(r) and ρ(r), allows an independent determination of P(q), and yields in addition to the scattering experiment information about the distribution of the end groups.