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Gels
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Supramolecular Gels: New Knowledge
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Supramolecular Gels: New Knowledge

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 13478

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. John Hardy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry and Materials Science Institute, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Interests: supramolecular chemistry; polymers; stimuli-responsive materials; biomaterials; drug delivery; tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nature employs a combination of supramolecular interactions (e.g., electrostatic, hydrophobic, π–π, cation/anion–π, van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and metal coordination) to generate hierarchically-ordered structures with remarkable stimuli-responsive properties. The same structure-directing forces can, in principle, be employed for the realization of man-made assemblies with similar or perhaps even greater utility. We warmly welcome submissions related to the preparation, characterization, and applications of supramolecular gels, as well as gelation mechanisms. Special focus will be given to any emerging application of these fascinating materials. Fields such as biomedicine, catalysis, energy, coatings, cosmetics, health care, etc. should be great beneficiaries of this Special Issue.

Prof. John G. Hardy
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • supramolecular interactions
  • self-assembly
  • supramolecular polymers
  • supracolloidal chemistry
  • drug delivery
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5059 KiB  
Article
Role of N–Oxide Moieties in Tuning Supramolecular Gel-State Properties
by Dipankar Ghosh, Ragnar Bjornsson and Krishna K. Damodaran
Gels 2020, 6(4), 41; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/gels6040041 - 20 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3224
Abstract
The role of specific interactions in the self-assembly process of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) was studied by altering the nonbonding interactions responsible for gel formation via structural modification of the gelator/nongelator. This was achieved by modifying pyridyl moieties of bis(pyridyl) urea-based hydrogelator [...] Read more.
The role of specific interactions in the self-assembly process of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) was studied by altering the nonbonding interactions responsible for gel formation via structural modification of the gelator/nongelator. This was achieved by modifying pyridyl moieties of bis(pyridyl) urea-based hydrogelator (4–BPU) and the isomer (3–BPU) to pyridyl N–oxide compounds (L1 and L2, respectively). The modification of the functional groups resulted in the tuning of the gelation properties of the parent gelator, which induced/enhanced the gelation properties. The modified compounds displayed better mechanical and thermal stabilities and the introduction of the N–oxide moieties had a prominent effect on the morphologies of the gel network, which was evident from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The effect of various interactions due to the introduction of N–oxide moieties in the gel network formation was analyzed by comparing the solid-state interactions of the compounds using single crystal X-ray diffraction and computational studies, which were correlated with the enhanced gelation properties. This study shows the importance of specific nonbonding interactions and the spatial arrangement of the functional groups in the supramolecular gel network formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supramolecular Gels: New Knowledge)
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9 pages, 3344 KiB  
Communication
Pyrene-Based Co-Assembled Supramolecular Gel; Morphology Changes and Macroscale Mechanical Property
by Ka Young Kim, Mirae Ok, Jaehyeong Kim, Sung Ho Jung, Moo Lyong Seo and Jong Hwa Jung
Gels 2020, 6(2), 16; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/gels6020016 - 15 May 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3608
Abstract
Two pyrene derivatives having the perylenediimide (1) or the alky chain (2) in the middle of molecules were synthesized. Co-assembled supramolecular gels were prepared at different molar ratios of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 equiv. of 2 to 1. [...] Read more.
Two pyrene derivatives having the perylenediimide (1) or the alky chain (2) in the middle of molecules were synthesized. Co-assembled supramolecular gels were prepared at different molar ratios of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 equiv. of 2 to 1. By SEM observation, the morphology of co-assembled supramolecular gels changed from spherical nanoparticles to three-dimensional network nanofibers as the ratio of 2 increased. In addition, the pyrene-excimer emission of co-assembled gels increased with increasing concentration of 2, and was stronger when compared with the condition without 1 or 2, indicating the formation of pyrene interaction between 1 and 2. In addition, the sol-gel transition was found to be reversible over repeated measurement by tube inversion method. The rheological properties of co-assembled supramolecular gels were also improved by increasing the ratio of 2, due to the increased nanoscale flexibility of supramolecular packing by introducing alkyl chain groups through heterogeneous pyrene interaction. These findings suggest that macroscale mechanical strength of co-assembled supramolecular gel was strongly influenced by nanoscale flexibility of the supramolecular packing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supramolecular Gels: New Knowledge)
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Review

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61 pages, 22885 KiB  
Review
Recently Developed Carbohydrate Based Gelators and Their Applications
by Joedian Morris, Jonathan Bietsch, Kristen Bashaw and Guijun Wang
Gels 2021, 7(1), 24; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/gels7010024 - 26 Feb 2021
Cited by 52 | Viewed by 5791
Abstract
Carbohydrate based low molecular weight gelators have been an intense subject of study over the past decade. The self-assembling systems built from natural products have high significance as biocompatible materials and renewable resources. The versatile structures available from naturally existing monosaccharides have enriched [...] Read more.
Carbohydrate based low molecular weight gelators have been an intense subject of study over the past decade. The self-assembling systems built from natural products have high significance as biocompatible materials and renewable resources. The versatile structures available from naturally existing monosaccharides have enriched the molecular libraries that can be used for the construction of gelators. The bottom-up strategy in designing low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) for a variety of applications has been adopted by many researchers. Rational design, along with some serendipitous discoveries, has resulted in multiple classes of molecular gelators. This review covers the literature from 2017–2020 on monosaccharide based gelators, including common hexoses, pentoses, along with some disaccharides and their derivatives. The structure-based design and structure to gelation property relationships are reviewed first, followed by stimuli-responsive gelators. The last section focuses on the applications of the sugar based gelators, including their utilization in environmental remediation, ion sensing, catalysis, drug delivery and 3D-printing. We will also review the available LMWGs and their structure correlations to the desired properties for different applications. This review aims at elucidating the design principles and structural features that are pertinent to various applications and hope to provide certain guidelines for researchers that are working at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supramolecular Gels: New Knowledge)
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