Self-Assembly of a Dendron-Attached Tetrathiafulvalene: Gel Formation and Modulation in the Presence of Chloranil and Metal Ions

The self-assembly of a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-based molecular gelator with a dendron substituent into a gel is described. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope studies show that the xerogels exhibit rope-like frameworks or interwoven nanofibers, depending on the polarity of solvent from which the gel is formed. Gels containing chloranil can also be successfully prepared. Interestingly, this two-component gel can be easily transformed into solution after the addition of either Sc3+ or Pb2+. Both absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic investigations reveal that the TTF unit is oxidized into TTF.+ by chloranil in the presence of either Sc3+ or Pb2+. Moreover, the gel phase can be restored by reduction of TTF.+ into the neutral form using magnesium.