Novel dimeric cholesteryl-based A(LS)2 low-molecular-mass gelators with a benzene ring in the linker.
Three novel dimeric cholesteryl-based A(LS)(2) low-molecular-mass organic gelators (LMOGs) with phthaloyl, isophthaloyl, or terephthaloyl moieties in the linkers were designed and prepared. According to the linker structures, the compounds are denoted as 1 (o-), 2 (m-), and 3 (p-), respectively. Gelation tests revealed that the difference of relative positions of two cholesterol moieties in the benzene ring can produce a dramatic change in the gelation behaviors of the compounds. Importantly, 2 and 3 are more efficient gelators than 1, and their self-assembly behaviors are also very different from each other as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. Very interestingly, 2 gels xylene spontaneously at room temperature, and the sol-gel phase transition of the system is mechanically controllable. FTIR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy studies revealed that hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions between the molecules of the gelators play an important role in the formation and maintenance of the gels. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that in the gel of 2/benzene, 2 aggregated into a layered structure with an interlayer distance of 3.54 nm, which is just the length of 2.
Xue
Min
M
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, People's Republic of China.
Liu
Kaiqiang
K
Peng
Junxia
J
Zhang
Qiuhong
Q
Fang
Yu
Y