Multistimuli Responsive Dendritic Organogels Based on Azobenzene-Containing Poly(aryl ether) Dendron

A new poly(benzyl ether) dendritic organogelator Azo-G3 containing azobenzene in its inner layer was designed and synthesized, and fully characterized. The dendron Azo-G3 was found to be a highly efficient and versatile organogelator toward various apolar and polar organic solvents with the critical gelation concentrations (CGCs) approaching 0.05 wt %, indicating that the dendron belongs to the category of supergelators. Further studies revealed that the intermolecular multiple pi-pi stacking interactions might be responsible for guiding the self-assembly processes and the gel formation. Most interestingly, these dendritic organogels exhibited multiple stimuli-responsive behaviors upon exposure to environmental stimuli including temperature, sonication, light, and shear stress.