Supramolecular Hydrogels Based on L-Phenylalanine Derivatives with a Positively Charged Terminal Group

✍ Scribed by Xin-Jian Fu; Hua Zhang; Si-Kai Zhou; Shao-Bing Liu; Fu-Quan Guo; Hong Wang; Ya-Jiang Yang

• Book ID: 102253709
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: German
• Weight: 396 KB
• Volume: 93
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0018-019X
• DOI: 10.1002/hlca.200900137

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A new hydrogelator based on L‐phenylalanine with a long hydrophobic chain and positively charged terminus was synthesized, and its gelation behavior in H~2~O was investigated. Polarized optical microscopy (POM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the hydrogelator self‐assembles into fibres‐like aggregates which then lead to the formation of a hydrogel. ^1^H‐NMR and CD spectra of hydrogels and aqueous solution revealed that intermolecular H‐bonding between the amide groups was the driving force for gelation. A luminescence study, in which ANS (8‐anilinonaphthalene‐1‐sulfonic acid) was used as a probe, indicated that the hydrophobic interactions between long chains were the driving force for gelation. Consequently, it was proved that the hydrogelator self‐assembles into fibre‐like aggregates and then forms supramolecular hydrogels through the H‐bonding and hydrophobic interactions.