Linear-dendritic copolymers are intriguing macromolecules. which offer challenge and fascination as Purely synthetic objects at the crossroad of organic and polymer chemistry and as promising materials for diverse advanced applications. This review traces their discovery and highlights the synthetic strategies used for their construction. The ambivalent character of the linear-dendritic architecture opens numerous avenues towards emerging and potential applications. Specific solution properties enable the construction of nanometer-sized nanoreactors for reactions in environmentally friendly media, and the creation of "nanosponges" for selective passive binding of fluorescent, pH-indicators for environmental or biomonitoring. Another structure-property relationship is used for noncovalent and site-specific modification of glycoproteins, which leads to the formation of "semiartificial" enzymes with enhanced and broadened catalylic activity. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.