We propose a strategy to obtain through a facile one-pot synthesis a large variety of supramolecular materials that can behave as differently as associating low-viscosity liquids, semicrystalline or amorphous thermoplastics, viscoelastic melts or rubbers. Such versatility is achieved thanks to simultaneous synthesis of branched backbones and grafting of associating units. This contrasts with usual synthetic pathways that rely on grafting functional groups on preprepared backbones. We use oligocondensation of fatty di- and triacids with diethylenetriamine and finely tune the molecular weight and degree of branching by end-capping some acid groups before condensation by reaction with aminoethylimidazolidone. Supramolecular assembly is formed thanks to complementary and self-complementary associations of amide, imidazolidone, and dialkylurea groups, and the stoichiometry directly controls the mesoscopic structure and properties.

We combine the supramolecular chemistry of heterocyclic ureas with the chemistry of epoxides to synthesize new crosslinked materials incorporating both chemical and supramolecular hydrogen-bonded links. A two-step facile and solvent-free procedure is used to obtain chemically and thermally stable networks from widely available ingredients: epoxy resins and fatty acids. The density of both chemical and physical crosslinks is controlled by the stoichiometry of the reactants and the use of a proper catalyst to limit side reactions. Depending on the stoichiometry, a wide range of thermomechanical properties can be attained. The method can be used to produce elastomeric objects of complex shapes.

Evaluation of kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) in laboratory high-pressure cells generally yields scattered results. In this work we propose a procedure that consists of characterizing the effectiveness of KHI on second hydrate formation. This procedure limits the stochastic character of hydrate crystallization using the persistence of precursory hydrate structures in water that has previously experienced hydrate formation and decomposition. It is shown that the presence of these precursors strongly increases the repeatability of results compared with systems containing "fresh water" and allows unambiguous discrimination between blank (uninhibited system) and KHI tests.