Self‐Assembling Fibrillar Networks—Supramolecular Gels

Abstract

Self‐assembled fibrillar gels have developed into an important class of supramolecular nanomaterial in which molecular‐scale building blocks hierarchically assemble into nanostructured systems with intriguing macroscopic properties. This chapter provides an overview of supramolecular gels, placing them clearly in a historical context and explaining how they can be investigated experimentally. This chapter then explores how key principles of molecular recognition and self‐assembly can be used to rationalize and predict their behavior. Different classes of gelator are explored in terms of the structures of the molecular‐scale building blocks. Finally, the chapter focuses on the unique features of gel‐phase materials, and the way in which they can be exploited to develop a wide range of new applications—from oil‐spill remediation and artwork conservation to nanoscale electronics and tissue engineering.

Self-Assembly of Nucleoside-Derived Low-Molecular-Weight Gelators: A Thermodynamics and Kinetics Study on Different Length Scales

“…The fibers entangled themselves, creating a network arrangement that entraps the solvent. This system forms a soft viscoelastic supramolecular gel [1][2][3] . LMWG hydrogelation features have potential applications in life science fields, e.g.…”

“…The fibers entangled themselves, creating a network arrangement that entraps the solvent. This system forms a soft viscoelastic supramolecular gel. − LMWG hydrogelation features have potential applications in life science fields, e.g., tissue engineering, − cell culture, − and drug delivery, , alongside polymer gels. Polymer gels are formed primarily by covalent interactions between monomers, whereas supramolecular gels consist of a self-assembly of building blocks by weak interaction (hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions, π-stacking, etc.).…”

In Situ Formation of Steroidal Supramolecular Gels Designed for Drug Release

“…In this article we want to show the application of steroids in supramolecular gels. Supramolecular gels [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] are smart functional nanoscale materials with high potential for a wide range of advanced applications, among others [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], in drug delivery [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], tissue engineering [ 12 ], light-harvesting systems [ 7 , 9 , 15 ], and optoelectronics [ 10 , 11 ]. Their formation stems from spontaneous but controlled self-assembly of small molecules, often called low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs), into a three-dimensional network with solvent molecules entrapped in its cavities [ 5 , 16 ].…”

Functional Supramolecular Gels Based on the Hierarchical Assembly of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines

“…Supramolecular gels (Steed, 2010; Buerkle and Rowan, 2012; Smith, 2012; Yu et al, 2013), in which organic molecules self-assemble into nano/microstructures and immobilize the solvents (Figure 1A), are attracting increased interests in different fields (Edwards and Smith, 2014; Shen et al, 2015; Kaufmann et al, 2016). Depending on the solvent included into the gels systems, the supramolecular gels can be either hydrogels or organogels.…”