Abstract

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of metallodendrimers that incorporate anti-inflammatory drugs and evaluates their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The inclusion of cationic cyclopentadienyliron moieties contributed to these positive biological activity outcomes. The safety of the dendrimers was assessed using in vitro toxicity tests on mammalian cell lines, and it was revealed that the dendrimers connected to the drugs were less toxic compared to the others. Among the best dendrimers, second-generation dendrimer with OH end groups (D7-G2-OH) and first-generation dendrimer with indomethacin end groups (D5-G1-I) showed promising antimicrobial properties. The chemical structure of the dendrimers was analyzed using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, providing information about the functional groups and bonding patterns present. Thermal stability was assessed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and showed exceptional stability of dendrimers within the temperature range of 300-400 °C. However, the cationic iron moieties in the dendrimers underwent breakdown at approximately 200 °C. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) revealed that the morphology of the dendrimers varied across different generations, indicating structural changes as the dendrimer size increased. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry analysis (CV) demonstrated changes in the intensity and broadness of the redox waves as the dendrimer generation increased, suggesting alterations in the electrochemical behavior of the dendrimers.