Novel double phase transforming organogel based on β-cyclodextrin in 1,2-propylene glycol

This paper describes a novel double phase transforming organogel (gel-sol-gel') composed of nontoxic β-cyclodextrin, potassium carbonate, and 1,2-propylene glycol. The gel-sol-gel' transforming processes are followed by a reversible gel-sol transforming process and an irreversible sol-gel' transforming process based on heating. The gel-sol-gel' transformation is accompanied by microstructure changes from nanospheres to nanorods. K(2)CO(3) plays a key role in associating supramolecular architectures of β-cyclodextrin into a three-dimensional network. This work may bring further applications in the areas of smart materials, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials.