D. Abdallah, Liangde Lu, R. Weiss
Sep 25, 1999
Citations
2
Influential Citations
71
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Chemistry of Materials
Abstract
We have examined the abilities of five structurally simple molecules to form thermoreversible gels with a variety of organic liquids. Each gelator is an acyclic alkane with one heteroatom. Of these, dioctadecylamine (2N) is the most efficient gelator. At ≅3 wt % concentrations, it forms gels with alkanes, aromatic liquids, alkanols, methylene chloride, and silicone oil that are stable in closed containers at room temperature for >7 months. Each of the other moleculesoctadecylamine (1N), trioctadecylamine (3N), methyldioctadecylamine (MeN), and ditetradecylsulfide (2S)is able to gel at least silicone oil, and 3N and 2S also form stable gels with alkanols. The reason for the superiority of 2N as a gelator has been linked to its rodlike structure and ability to act as both a hydrogen-bond donor and hydrogen-bond acceptor. Evidence for the importance of H-bonding interactions in strands of the gels is found in infrared and differential scanning calorimetric measurements on the gelators in their neat and gelle...