Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Structure and dynamics of a molecular hydrogel derived from a tripodal cholamide
Samrat Mukhopadhyay1, Uday Maitra, Ira Ira
1Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 India.
Abstract:
Tripodal cholamide 1 is a supergelator of aqueous fluids. A variety of physical techniques, including cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichroism (CD), steady-state fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, and dynamic light-scattering, were employed to understand the structure and dynamics of the gel. Fluorescent probes [ANS (8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid) and pyrene] reported two critical aggregation concentrations (CAC(1) and CAC(2)) of 1 in predominantly aqueous media, with the minimum gel concentration (MGC) being close to CAC(2). Fluorescence lifetime measurements with pyrene revealed ineffective quenching of pyrene fluorescence by oxygen, possibly caused by slower Brownian diffusion due to the enhanced viscosity in the gel phase. The study of the gelation kinetics by monitoring the ultrafast dynamics of ANS revealed a progressive increase in the aggregate size and the microviscosity of the aqueous pool encompassed by the self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFIN) during the gelation. The striking difference between microviscosity and bulk (macroscopic) viscosity of the gel is also discussed.
More Related Videos
12:07Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning
Published on: April 16, 2018
07:06Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface
Published on: April 7, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation
Proteoglycans
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
IP3/DAG Signaling Pathway
Glycosaminoglycans
GAGS are found in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria. Due to their polar nature they attract water, and serve as excellent lubricants or shock absorbers in an animal body.
Hyaluronic...