Oil Spill Remediation: Recent Developments of Phase Selective Organogelators (PSOGs)

Phase-selective organogelators (PSOGs) have garnered substantial attention in recent years owing to their potential as oil-scavenging materials in oil-water separation. This review highlights the advancements in this area, specifically in the design of new gelator systems, which have the potential to be useful for oil spill remediation. It discusses various PSOG systems, focusing on their molecular structures and the plausible mechanisms that facilitate phase-selective gelation of oil in biphasic mixtures of oil and water. Furthermore, the review examines the concept of selective oil gelation as a potential extension of this field for detecting fuel adulteration, emphasizing the real-world applicability of these gelators as critical future objectives in this rapidly evolving domain.