Construction of supramolecular organogels and hydrogels from crown ether based unsymmetric bolaamphiphiles

A bolaamphiphilic low-molecular-weight gelator based on crown ether, which could self-assemble into organogels and hydrogels, was prepared. The contribution of each part of the structure to the gelation property was investigated by designing a series of analogues. A simple framework (crown ether-hydrophobic linkage-ammonium salt) was proposed.