title: In situ synthesis-gelation at room temperature vs. heating-cooling procedure. Fine tuning of molecular gels derived from succinic acid and L-valine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The reaction between succinic anhydride and a diamine derived from L-valine should afford efficiently a molecular gelator. Based on this reaction, it should be feasible to prepare molecular gels at room temperature, avoiding the conventional thermal treatment required for the solubilization of the gelator, by in situ, simultaneous, synthesis and gelation. The gels prepared by in situ and conventional heating-cooling protocols could present important differences relevant for potential practical applications of these materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The gelator was synthesized by reaction of succinic anhydride and a diamine derived from L-valine, affording two new amide bonds. The molecular gels were studied by IR, NMR, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and DSC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that different polymorphic fibrillar networks are formed depending on the gel preparation method, highlighting how the properties of molecular gels can be tuned in this way. Significant differences between thermal and in situ gels were found in properties such as thermal stability, thixotropic behavior or release of an entrapped dye. In situ synthesis-gelation has also been shown to provide gels in media such as oleic acid which cannot be jellified by conventional heating-cooling procedures.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fontanillo
authors.forename: César A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Angulo-Pachón
authors.forename: Beatriu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Escuder
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Miravet
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014633:Valine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D019802:Succinic Acid; D014633:Valine
keywords: Controlled release; Fibrillization; Gels; Polymorphism; Self-assembly; Supramolecular chemistry