Hyperbranched Polyol Process for the Synthesis of Multifunctional Cobalt Nanocomposites: Interplay of Polymer Architecture, Metal Localization and Material Properties

A strategy based on the hyperbranched polyol process (HB-polyol process) is presented for the synthesis of hemocompatible cobalt nanocomposites Co/GnOH with controlled morphology and predictable functional properties. Third-generation (G3OH) and fourth-generation (G4OH) hyperbranched polyester polyols were used as smart polyol nanoreactors. We establish, for the first time, the fundamental physicochemical principles of the HB-polyol process based on a comprehensive analysis of FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, NTA, and TEM data. These principles encompass the stages of pre-organization, nucleation, polyol oxidation and the stabilization of cobalt-loaded metallopolymer nanocomposites within the binary [CoCl2–GnOH] system (n = 3, 4). Magnetic measurements revealed that the samples exhibit paramagnetic properties at 5 K. The size of the magnetic cores in the Co/G3OH samples was estimated by fitting the field-dependent magnetization curves to the Langevin function and was found to range from 1.4 nm to 7.2 nm, indicating the superparamagnetic behavior of the nanocomposites. In vitro biological tests of the Co/GnOH nanocomposites demonstrated high hemocompatibility, as well as pronounced modulatory and antimycotic activity across all samples. The obtained results hold promise for the development of simple design technologies for multifunctional “intelligent” materials based on metal and dendritic nanoparticles for biomedical applications.