Synthesis and study of two hydrogelators derived from L-Valine

Abstract

Gels are solid-like viscoelastic materials formed by solvent and gelator. Supramolecular gels are formed by weak interactions between small molecules unlike macromolecular gels which are formed by macromolecules or polymers.1 Supramolecular gels can be utilized, for example, in tissue engineering, wound healing and drug delivery.2 The dynamic and reversible nature of non-covalent interactions that hold supramolecular gels network structures together results in the inherent ability of them to respond to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, solvent, light, and redox reactions.3 The response to stimuli of supramolecular gels makes them very important in Materials Science. For example, some supramolecular gels are sensitive to light or chemical entities by incorporating a spectroscopically active group or receptor unit as part of a gelator. This makes them easily applicable in many areas.4 [...]