Stereoisomeric bis(phenylglycinol)malonamide gelators: rare examples of gelling meso-compounds

Gelation of malonamides was investigated for the first time. Bis(phenylglycinol)malonamide 1, and methyl-, dimethyl-, ethyl-, diethyl- and isopropylmalonamides 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, exhibited profoundly different gelling properties. Monoalkyl malonamides are efficient organogelators, and their gelling properties strongly depend on their stereochemistry. In contrast, symmetrically substituted dialkymalonamides, that is, (R,R)-dimethylmalonamide 3 and (R,R)-diethylmalonamide 5 as well as the unsubstituted 1 lack any gelation ability. Methyl derivative (R,R)-2 is an excellent, and its ethyl analogue (R,R)-4 a moderate gelator of toluene, p-xylene and tetralin while the isopropyl derivative (R,R)-6 shows only very weak gelation of tetralin and some more polar solvents. Meso diastereoisomers (R,r,S)-2 and (R,s,S)-2, as well as (R,r,S)-4 and (R,s,S)-4), each possessing a pseudoasymmetric centre represent very rare examples of gelling meso-compounds. The racemate 4 (rac-4) showed more efficient gelation of some solvents than the pure enantiomer (R,R)-4, while rac-2 failed to gel any of the solvents which were efficiently gelled by (R,R)-2.