Easy-to-implement methods were realized with glucose-based gelators for the efficient removal of aniline/nitrobenzene, and toxic dyes from contaminated water.

A new organogelator based on Schiff base derivative has been designed and synthesized. It can be employed as building blocks to fabricate organic nano-or micro-structures. It shows excellent self-assembling properties. It could form stable gels with nanofiber structures in various organic solvents, such as n-butanol, benzyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetone, aniline. The gelation properties, structural characteristics and fluorescence of the gels were studied. Compared with the solution, the gel showed significantly enhanced emission. This organogel system can be used as a thermally driven fluorescence molecular switch.