Sugar-integrated gelators of organic solvents

Some methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene monosaccharides can act as strong low molecular weight gelators for various organic solvents. As they are accessible in a variety of homologues, each with a unique molecular architecture, they can be used for systematic studies of gelation phenomena. Structural details of their hydrogen-bond-based fiber network in the gel phase can be resolved by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Analysis of the molecular arrangement in a single crystal can be a valuable tool for the prediction of gelation ability presupposing that the elongated shape of the gel fibers arises from an anisotropic assembly of the gelator molecules into one-dimensional aggregates. It is found that some derivatives act as "supergelators", which can gelate hydrocarbon solvents with 0.03-0.05 wt%. The recent results emerging from these investigations will be outlined in this article.