Self-Assembled Networks and Molecular Gels Derived from Long-Chain, Naturally-Occurring Fatty Acids

Self-assembly of molecular gelators in a variety of liquids provides an attractive route for the construction of nanostructured materials with desired functionalities. This review focuses on correlations between structural features of gelators, specifically derivatives of long-chain, naturally-occurring fatty acids in which functional groups have been modified systematically and their gelation efficiencies in a wide range of liquids. It is shown that molecular packing at different distance scales within the gel assemblies and the microscopic and macroscopic physical properties of the gels are sensitive to even small changes in gelator sturcture and properties of the liquid component. Structural insights are provided to understand better the basis for the rational design of molecular gelators.

Keywords:
molecular gels; fatty acids; ﬁbrillar networks; structure-property correlations; self-assembly

Authorship

Mohan Zhang

Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USAGeorgetown UniversityUSAWashington DC, USADepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

Richard G. Weiss ^**e-mail: weissr@georgetown.edu

Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USAGeorgetown UniversityUSAWashington DC, USADepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USAGeorgetown UniversityUSAWashington DC, USAInstitute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

*e-mail: weissr@georgetown.edu

Mohan Zhang received her BS degree in Chemistry from Fudan University, Shanghai, China in 2011. Currently, she is a PhD candidate at Georgetown University. The focus of her PhD research is on the design, syntheses, and properties of molecular gels.

Richard G. Weiss received his ScB degree from Brown University and MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Connecticut under the supervision of Eugene Snyder. He was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow with George Hammond at CalTech and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Universidade de São Paulo for 3 years before joining Georgetown University. He is an IUPAC Fellow, member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors, and received a doctorate honoris causa from Université de Bordeaux I. He was a senior editor of Langmuir for 11 years and is a member of the editorial advisory board of Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society. His research interests include investigations of thermal and photochemical reactions in anisotropic environments and the development and application of gels, ionic liquids, and polymers.

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Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USAGeorgetown UniversityUSAWashington DC, USADepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

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