Supramolecular gelators based on benzenetricarboxamides for ionic liquids.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Ionic liquids (ILs) are versatile solvents with unique properties.
• Developing effective gelators for ILs is crucial for advanced material applications.
• Supramolecular self-assembly offers a pathway to create novel gel architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel supramolecular gelators for ionic liquids.
• To investigate the self-assembly mechanism and gelation properties.
• To assess the impact of gelation on the ionic liquids' intrinsic conductivity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of gelators from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acids and amino acid methyl esters.
• Gelation of ten different ionic liquids at low concentrations.
• Characterization using Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM).
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

• Successful gelation of ten ionic liquids using the developed gelators.
• FESEM and CLSM revealed self-assembly into entangled fibrous networks.
• FTIR and comparative studies indicated hydrogen bonding as the primary driving force for self-assembly.
• The resulting ionogels exhibited reversible thermal transitions and viscoelastic properties.
• Intrinsic conductivity of the ionic liquids remained unaffected by gelation.

Conclusions:

• 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic acid and amino acid ester-based gelators effectively form supramolecular ionogels.
• Self-assembly driven by hydrogen bonding leads to fibrous structures responsible for gelation.
• The developed ionogels possess desirable thermal and mechanical properties.
• Gelation does not compromise the inherent conductivity of the ionic liquids, broadening their application potential.