Simple chiral urea gelators, (R)- and (S)-2-heptylurea: their gelling ability enhanced by chirality

We present the first report on the synthesis of chiral ureas, (R)- and (S)-2-heptylurea, and their gelling behaviors. The ureas were prepared by the reactions of chiral amines and phenyl carbamate in the presence of triethylamine. On cooling from homogeneous solutions, the chiral ureas form gels in water and various nonpolar organic solvents, such as cyclohexane, toluene, and tetrachloromethane, while the racemate gelatinize only toluene and tetrachloromethane among the solvents we examined. The gelling ability of the enantiomeric urea is higher than the racemate, as the critical gelling concentrations in toluene, for example, were 0.2% and 0.7% (wt/wt), respectively. The enhanced gelling ability of the enantiomeric ureas is due to the 1D supramolecular structure formed during gelation. In contrast, the racemate crystallizes into two-dimensional lamellae, where the (R)- and (S)-2-heptylurea exist alternatingly in a plane (P2(1)/c space group). Powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the enantiomeric urea showed that it has a different crystal lattice from that of the racemate, implying that the steric effect by the methyl group at the chiral center prevents the pure enantiomers from having 2D hydrogen bonding networks, which lead to sheet-like structures for the racemate and the achiral analog. Thus the pure enantiomers self-organize into one-dimensional fibrous structures. The simplicity and the ambidextrous gelling behaviors of the chiral ureas in forming both hydrogels and organogels present numerous possibilities for future applications.