The Formation of Organogels and Helical Nanofibers from Simple Organic Salts

Simple organic salts based on aniline-derived cations and D-tartrate anions formed organogels and helical nanofibers. The organic salt (p-fluoroanilinium)(D-tartrate) was found to generate an organogel despite the absence of a hydrophobic alkyl chain, whereas (p-iodoanilinium)(D-tartrate) formed helical nanofibers in braided ropelike structures through a rolling-up process. The helicity of these nanofibers could be reversed by changing the growth solvent. The driving forces responsible for the formation of the nanofibers were determined to be 1D OHO- hydrogen-bonding interactions between D-tartrate anions and stacking of anilinium cations, as well as steric hindrance between the hydrogen-bonded chains.