Low molecular weight gelators self- assemble via weak intermolecular interactions and result in the formation molecular gels. To design molecular gels with desired functions it is necessary to understand how the physical interactions generate the self-assembly and thus molecular gels. It has been shown that alkanes exhibit gelation property demonstrating London dispersion forces alone can provide enough strength for the self-assembly. A long-chained alkanoic acid, such as stearic acid can stabilize its aggregates by both London dispersion forces and H-bonding interactions. Here in we report that upon addition of ammonia to ‘latent’ stearic acid in toluene sol/solutions transformed to molecular gels at isothermal conditions. Mechanical stirring of 5 wt % ammonium stearate based organogels completely transformed to a sol sol/solution that was reversed upon cessation of the perturbation (thixotropic properties). Structure property comparison and mechanotropic proeprties of organogels other simple fatty acids also will be presented.

Structure-property relationships and mechanotropic properties of molecular gels based on simple fatty acid based gelators

254th National Meeting (2017)

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