title: Insights into the Formation and Structures of Molecular Gels by Diimidazolium Salt Gelators in Ionic Liquids or "Normal" Solvents.
abstract: Insights are provided into the properties of molecular gels formed by diimidazolium salts both in "normal" solvents and ionic liquids. These materials can be interesting for applications in green and sustainable chemistry in which ionic liquids play a significant role, like catalysis and energy. In particular, two positional isomers of a diimidazolium cation have been examined with a wide range of anions for their ability to form gel phases. In particular, di-, tri-, and tetravalent anions bearing aliphatic or aromatic spacers were paired with the divalent cations. The properties of the organo- and ionogels formed have been analyzed by means of several different techniques, including calorimetry, rheology, resonance light scattering, UV/Vis absorption, polarizing optical microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction measurements. The investigations performed enabled us to obtain a wide range of conductive materials characterized by a high thermal stability and a low corrosiveness of the gelator (organogels) or of both gelator and solvent (ionogels). The information gained should be useful in the broader quest to identify and promote their applications.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento STEBICEF, Sezione di Chimica, Viale delle Scienze, Parco O'Orleans II, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento STEBICEF, Sezione di Chimica, Viale delle Scienze, Parco O'Orleans II, 90128, Palermo, Italy. francesca.danna@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6171-8620
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Anna
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento STEBICEF, Sezione di Chimica, Viale delle Scienze, Parco O'Orleans II, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057-1227, USA.
authors.forename: Mohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057-1227, USA.|Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 20057-1227, USA.
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Weiss
keywords: gels; green chemistry; ionic liquids; organic salts; supramolecular gels