Synergistic Coassembly of Two Structurally Different Molecular Gelators

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Molecular coassembly can yield materials with enhanced properties.
• Understanding the interactions governing coassembly is crucial for material design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the coassembly of two structurally distinct molecular gelators.
• To elucidate the molecular interactions and synergistic effects in hybrid gels.

Main Methods:

• Confocal microscopy.
• One-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Hybrid gels exhibited elastic moduli over an order of magnitude higher than individual gels, indicating significant synergy.
• Coassembly into fibers is driven by van der Waals interactions (alkyl chains) and specific functional group interactions.
• A critical molar ratio allowed switching between gelator-dominated fiber networks.
• Gelators act as additives, tuning nucleation and growth of fiber networks.

Conclusions:

• Coassembly of distinct molecular gelators leads to superior material properties.
• Molecular-level understanding of interactions enables precise control over material formation.
• This work provides insights for developing advanced materials through molecular coassembly.