title: Dipeptide-based low-molecular-weight efficient organogelators and their application in water purification.
abstract: The development of new low-molecular-weight gelators for organic solvents is motivated by several potential applications of gels as advanced functional materials. In the present study, we developed simple dipeptide-based organogelators with a minimum gelation concentration (MGC) of 6-0.15 %, w/v in aromatic solvents. The organogelators were synthesized using different L-amino acids with nonpolar aliphatic/aromatic residues and by varying alkyl-chain length (C-12 to C-16). The self-aggregation behavior of these thermoreversible organogels was investigated through several spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. A balanced participation of the hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions is crucial for efficient organogelation, which can be largely modulated by the structural modification at the hydrogen-bonding unit as well as by varying the alkyl-chain length in both sides of the hydrophilic residue. Interestingly, these organogelators could selectively gelate aromatic solvents from their mixtures with water. Furthermore, the xerogels prepared from the organogels showed a striking property of adsorbing dyes such as crystal violet, rhodamine 6G from water. This dye-adsorption ability of gelators can be utilized in water purification by removing toxic dyes from wastewater.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India.
authors.forename: Sisir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.forename: Anshupriya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shome
authors.forename: Sounak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.forename: Prasanta Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000737:chemistry; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D044367:Phase Transition; D012997:Solvents; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D004151:Dipeptides; D005782:Gels; D009821:Oils; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water