Journal
SOFT MATTER
Volume 9, Issue 4, Pages 1091-1099Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c2sm27208c
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Funding
- Natural Science Foundation of China [20927001, 91027017, 21273141]
- 13115 Project of Shaanxi Province [2010ZDKG-89]
- Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China [IRT1070]
- Innovation Funds of Graduate Programs of Shaanxi Normal University [2012CXS042]
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Four nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)-containing cholesteryl (Chol) derivatives were prepared, and their gelation behaviors were tested. It was demonstrated that the compounds show a remarkable gelling ability. In particular, a subtle change in the length of the spacers connecting the two structural units of the compounds, which are NBD and Chol, respectively, produced a dramatic change in the gelation ability and the gel properties of the compounds. As for gelation, compound 1 is much more powerful than others, especially in the gelation of methanol-containing organic mixtures. It is to be noted that the gel of 1/pyridine-methanol exhibits superior mechanical strength with a yield stress higher than 6300 Pa at a gelator concentration of 2.5% (w/v), and the value exceeds 23 000 Pa when the gelator concentration reaches 5.0% (w/v), a result never reported before in the field of molecular gels based on low-molecular mass gelators (LMMGs). More importantly, the gel shows a rapid self-healing property as evidenced by the fact that the gel heals up immediately upon cutting, provided the segments from the cutting are squeezed together. No doubt, our findings establish a benchmark for LMMG-based molecular gels in their rheological performances. FTIR, H-1 NMR and XRD studies revealed that intermolecular hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking are two of the main driving forces to promote the gelation of the system and the self-assembling of the molecules of the gelator.
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