Synthesis and self-assembly of dichalcone substituted carbazole-based low-molecular mass organogel

We report the synthesis and self-assembly of a new pi-conjugated dichalcone substituted carbazole-based low molecular mass organogelator. It could form stable gels in most halogen-aromatic solvents. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the gel formed fibrous structures with diameter of 50-100 nm, which consisted of several thinner fibers. The FT-IR, UV-vis and XRD results suggested that the H-bonds and pi-pi interactions were the main driving forces for the formation of the self-assembled gel, in which the U-shaped molecules were stacked into lamellar structures. The fluorescent spectra showed that the emission of the xerogel red-shifted markedly compared with the sol state, which resulted from the aggregation of the molecules.