Supramolecular Assembly of pH-Sensitive Triphenylene Derived Pi-Gelators and Their Application as Molecular template for the Preparation of Silica Nanontubes

MUÑOZ RESTA, IGNACIO; MANZANO, VERÓNICA E.; CECCHI, FLORENCIA; SPAGNUOLO, CARLA C.; CUKIERNIK, FABIO D.; DI CHENNA, PABLO H.

GELS

MDPI AG

Lugar: Basilea; Año: 2016 vol. 2 p. 7 - 20

The gelation properties and mode of self-assembly of six asymmetrical hexaethertriphenylene derivatives mono-functionalized with carboxylic and primary amine groups wereinvestigated. The presence of a carboxylic and amine group attached to the triphenylene coregenerated stable, thermo- and pH-sensitive supramolecular -organogels with a reversible responseto both stimuli. In order to understand the gelation process, we studied the effect of the spacer lengthand found a different gelation scope for the acid and basic derivatives that accounts for a differentsupramolecular self-assembly. The presence of the basic group on the amino derivatives was usedto guide and catalyze the templated in situ sol-gel polymerization of TEOS and allowed us, undercontrolled hydrolytic conditions, to prepare an entangled fibrillar network of silica nanotubes.