Supramolecular organogels based on mesogenic 2,7-difunctionalized triphenylenes as a simple system for water content assessment in light alcohols

VADRA, NAHIR; HUCK-IRIART, CRISTIÁN; GIOVANETTI, LISANDRO J.; DI CHENNA, PABLO H.; CUKIERNIK, FABIO D.

NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY

Año: 2020 vol. 44 p. 2423 - 2434

1144-0546

A series of three triphenylene compounds -denoted 2,7-THTP-DiCnOH- bearing four hexyloxy ancillary chains and two variable-length alkoxy chains terminally functionalized with hydroxyl groups have been synthesized and characterized. Thestudied compounds exhibited thermotropic mesomorphism; the detailed nature of the mesophases was found to depend on the relative positions of the terminal functional groups relative to the crown formed by the ancillary chains. All thestudied compounds were able to act as supramolecular gelators in a variety of alcohols, their organogelating ability has been rationalized in terms of physicochemical parameters like dielectric constant, which allowed to establish very precise predictive ?solvent gelation windows? for each compound. Remarkably stable gels have been detected for 2,7-THTPDiC6OH in methanol. As a proof of principle, we present the water sensing performance as a rapid method for the assessment of water content in alcohols samples based on the influence that the water content exerts on gels´thermostability.