Self-assembled fibrillar networks and molecular gels employing 12-hydroxystearic acid and its isomers and derivatives

Self-assembly of small molecules can lead to many different types of objects and phases. This mini-review concentrates on the formation of one-dimensional objects and their transformation into gels from solutions/sols of 12-hydroxystearic acid, a molecule derived from the castor bean, and its derivatives in a wide variety of liquids. It is shown how the molecular packing within the one-dimensional objects and the nature of the derived gels can be correlated with systematic variations of the gelator structure and the type of liquid. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.