Supramolecular gelation of alcohol and water by synthetic amphiphilic gallic acid derivatives

The supramolecular organogelation of alcohols was observed in relatively hydrophobic amphiphiles with a short oligo(ethylene glycol) unit and three long alkyl chains at room temperature, while the hydrogelation occurred in more hydrophilic gelators with a longer poly(ethylene glycol) unit and two long alkyl chains at various temperatures. When a hot aqueous solution of some of the synthetic hydrogelators was cooled down, the supramolecular hydrogel was formed at room temperature. In some other amphiphiles with less intermolecular interactivity in water at room temperature, a reverse phase transition of sol to gel was observed by elevating the temperature of their aqueous systems, especially below a physiological temperature, 37 °C. The supramolecular hydrogelation at a low or high temperature was dependent on a slight molecular modification of the synthetic amphiphiles.