Supramolecular Synthons in Designing Low Molecular Mass Gelling Agents: L‐Amino Acid Methyl Ester Cinnamate Salts and their Anti‐Solvent‐Induced Instant Gelation

Easy access to a class of chiral gelators has been achieved by exploiting primary ammonium monocarboxylate ( PAM ), a supramolecular synthon. A combinatorial library comprising of 16 salts, derived from 5 l ‐amino acid methyl esters and 4 cinnamic acid derivatives, has been prepared and scanned for gelation. Remarkably, 14 out of 16 salts prepared (87.5 % of the salts) show moderate to good gelation abilities with various solvents, including commercial fuels, such as petrol. Anti‐solvent induced instant gelation at room temperature has been achieved in all the gelator salts, indicating that the gelation process is indeed an aborted crystallization phenomenon. Rheology, optical and scanning electron microscopy, small angle neutron scattering, and X‐ray powder diffraction have been used to characterize the gels. A structure‐property correlation has been attempted, based on these data, in addition to the single‐crystal structures of 5 gelator salts. Analysis of the FT‐IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy data reveals that some of these salts can be used as supramolecular containers for the slow release of certain pest sex pheromones. The present study clearly demonstrates the merit of crystal engineering and the supramolecular synthon approach in designing new materials with multiple properties.     

Easy Access to Supramolecular Gels of the Nonsteroidal Anti‐inflammatory Drug Diflunisal: Synthesis,Characterization, and Plausible Biomedical Applications

By exploiting salt formation, a new series of primary ammonium monocarboxylate salts of a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, namely, diflunisal, was synthesized. The majority of the salts thus synthesized turned out to be good gelators of various solvents, including the solvents (e.g., methyl salicylate and pure water) typically used for topical gel formulation. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies of a few gelator and nongelator salts in the series revealed details of the hydrogen‐bonding networks present in the salts. Furthermore, one such gelator salt, namely, the diflunisal salt of serinol, was found to be biocompatible (MTT assay), and its anti‐inflammatory (PGE₂ assay) response turned out to be as good as that of the parent drug, which is indicative of its potential in biomedical applications.     

Rationally Developed Organic Salts of Tolfenamic Acid and Its β‐Alanine Derivatives for Dual Purposes as an Anti‐Inflammatory Topical Gel and Anticancer Agent

A new series of primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) salts of a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID), namely, tolfenamic acid ( TA ), and its β‐alanine derivatives were generated. Nearly 67 % of the salts in the series showed gelling abilities with various solvents, including water (biogenic solvent) and methyl salicylate (typically used for topical gel formulations). Gels were characterized by rheology, electron microscopy, and so forth. Structure–property correlations based on single‐crystal and powder XRD data of several gelator and nongelator salts revealed intriguing insights. Studies (in vitro) on an aggressive human breast cancer cell line (MDA‐MB‐231) with the l ‐tyrosine methyl ester salt of TA ( S7 ) revealed that the hydrogelator salt was more effective at killing cancer cells than the mother drug TA (3‐(4,5‐ di methyl thiazol ‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay); displayed better anti‐inflammatory activity compared with that of TA (prostaglandin E₂ assay); could be internalized within the cancer cells, as revealed by fluorescence microscopy; and inhibited effectively migration of the cancer cells. Thus, the easily accessible ambidextrous gelator salt S7 can be used for two purposes: as an anti‐inflammatory topical gel and as an anticancer agent.     

Exploring Orthogonal Hydrogen Bonding towards Designing Organic‐Salt‐Based Supramolecular Gelators: Synthesis,Structures, and Anticancer Properties

A series of primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) salts derived from β‐alanine derivatives of pyrene and naphthalene acetic acid, along with the parent acids, were explored to probe the plausible role of orthogonal hydrogen bonding resulting from amide???amide and PAM synthons on gelation. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD) studies were performed on two parent acids and five PAM salts in the series. The data revealed that orthogonal hydrogen bonding played an important role in gelation. Structure–property correlation based on SXRD and powder X‐ray diffraction data also supported the working hypothesis upon which these gelators were designed. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and cell migration assay on a highly aggressive human breast cancer cell line, MDA‐MB‐231, revealed that one of the PAM salts in the series, namely, PAA.B2 , displayed anticancer properties, and internalization of the gelator salt in the same cell line was confirmed by cell imaging.     

Supramolecular Chirality in Organo‐, Hydro‐, and Metallogels Derived from Bis‐amides of L‐(+)‐Tartaric Acid: Formation of Highly Aligned 1D Silica Fibers and Evidence of 5‐c Net SnS Topology in a Metallogel Network

A series of bis‐amides derived from L ‐(+)‐tartaric acid was synthesized as potential low‐molecular‐weight gelators. Out of 14 bis‐amides synthesized, 13 displayed organo‐, hydro‐, and ambidextrous gelation behavior. The gels were characterized by methods including circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, optical and electron microscopy, and rheology. One of the gels derived from di‐3‐pyridyltartaramide ( D‐3‐PyTA ) displayed intriguing nanotubular morphology of the gel network, which was exploited as a template to generate highly aligned 1D silica fibers. The gelator D‐3‐PyTA was also exploited to generate metallogels by treatment with various Cu^II/Zn^II salts under suitable conditions. A structure–property correlation on the basis of single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction data was attempted to gain insight into the structures of the gel networks in both organo‐ and metallogels. Such study led to the determination of the gel‐network structure of the Cu^II coordination‐polymer‐based metallogel, which displayed a 2D sheet architecture made of a chloride‐bridged double helix that resembled a 5‐c net SnS topology.     

Supramolecular Gels by Design: Towards the Development of Topical Gels for Self‐Delivery Application

Following a supramolecular synthon approach, simple salt formation has been employed to gain access to a series of supramolecular gelators derived from the well‐known non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen. A well‐studied gel‐inducing supramolecular synthon, namely primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM), has been exploited to generate a series of PAM salts by reacting ibuprofen with various primary amines. Remarkably, all of the salts ( S1 – S7 ) thus synthesized proved to be good to moderate gelators of various polar and nonpolar solvents. Single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction studies established the existence of the PAM synthons in the gel network, confirming the efficacy of the supramolecular synthon approach employed. Most importantly, the majority of the salts ( S2 , S3 , S6 , and S7 ) were capable of gelling methyl salicylate (MS), an important ingredient found in many commercial topical gels. In vitro experiments (MTT and PGE₂ assays) revealed that all of the salts (except S3 and S7 ) were biocompatible (up to 0.5 mm concentration), and the most suited one, S6 , displayed anti‐inflammatory ability as good as that of the parent drug ibuprofen. A topical gel of S6 with methyl salicylate and menthol was found to be suitable for delivering the gelator drug in a self‐delivery fashion in treating skin inflammation in mice. Histological studies, including immunohistology, were performed to further probe the role of the gelator drug S6 in treating inflammation. Cell imaging studies supported cellular uptake of the gelator drug in such biomedical application.     

Remarkable Shape‐Sustaining,Load‐Bearing,and Self‐Healing Properties Displayed by a Supramolecular Gel Derived from a Bis‐pyridyl‐bis‐amide of L‐Phenyl Alanine

A series of bis‐amides decorated with pyridyl and phenyl moieties derived from L ‐amino acids having an innocent side chain (L ‐alanine and L ‐phenyl alanine) were synthesized as potential low‐molecular‐weight gelators (LMWGs). Both protic and aprotic solvents were found to be gelled by most of the bis‐amides with moderate to excellent gelation efficiency (minimum gelator concentration=0.32–4.0 wt. % and gel–sol dissociation temperature T_gel=52–110 °C). The gels were characterized by rheology, DSC, SEM, TEM, and temperature‐variable ¹H NMR measurements. pH‐dependent gelation studies revealed that the pyridyl moieties took part in gelation. Structure–property correlation was attempted using single‐crystal X‐ray and powder X‐ray diffraction data. Remarkably, one of the bis‐pyridyl bis‐amide gelators, namely 3,3‐Phe (3‐pyridyl bis‐amide of L ‐phenylalanine) displayed outstanding shape‐sustaining, load‐bearing, and self‐healing properties.     

Phenylboronic Acid Appended Pyrene‐Based Low‐Molecular‐Weight Injectable Hydrogel: Glucose‐Stimulated Insulin Release

A pyrene‐containing phenylboronic acid (PBA) functionalized low‐molecular‐weight hydrogelator was synthesized with the aim to develop glucose‐sensitive insulin release. The gelator showed the solvent imbibing ability in aqueous buffer solutions of pH values, ranging from 8–12, whereas the sodium salt of the gelator formed a hydrogel at physiological pH 7.4 with a minimum gelation concentration (MGC) of 5 mg mL^?1. The aggregation behavior of this thermoreversible hydrogel was studied by using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, FTIR, UV/Vis, luminescence, and CD spectroscopy. These investigations revealed that hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and van der Waals interactions are the key factors for the self‐assembled gelation. The diol‐sensitive PBA part and the pyrene unit in the gelator were judiciously used in fluorimetric sensing of minute amounts of glucose at physiological pH. The morphological change of the gel due to addition of glucose was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, which denoted the glucose‐responsive swelling of the hydrogel. A rheological study indicated the loss of the rigidity of the native gel in the presence of glucose. Hence, the glucose‐induced swelling of the hydrogel was exploited in the controlled release of insulin from the hydrogel. The insulin‐loaded hydrogel showed thixotropic self‐recovery property, which hoisted it as an injectable soft composite. Encouragingly, the gelator was found to be compatible with HeLa cells.     

Peptide Conjugates of a Nonsteroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drug as Supramolecular Gelators: Synthesis,Characterization, and Biological Studies

Indomethacin ( IND ), which is a well‐known nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID), was conjugated with various naturally occurring amino acids. Most of these bioconjugates were capable of gelling pure water, a solution of NaCl (0.9 wt %), and phosphate‐buffered saline (pH 7.4), as well as a few organic solvents. The gels were characterized by table‐top and dynamic rheology, and electron microscopy. Variable‐temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies on a selected gel were performed to gain insights into the self‐assembly process during gel formation. Both 1D and 2D hydrogen‐bonded networks were observed in the single‐crystal structures of two of the gelators. Plausible biological applications of the hydrogelators were evaluated with the ultimate aim of drug delivery in a self‐delivery fashion. All hydrogelators were stable in phosphate‐buffered saline at pH 7.4 at 37 °C, and biocompatible in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay). Two of the most biocompatible hydrogelators displayed an anti‐inflammatory response comparable to that of the parent drug IND in prostaglandin E₂ assay. Release of the bioconjugates into the bulk solvent interfaced with the corresponding hydrogels indicated their plausible future application in drug delivery.     

Simple Organic Salts Having a Naphthalenediimide (NDI) Core Display Multifunctional Properties: Gelation,Anticancer and Semiconducting Properties

Following a supramolecular synthon rationale, a dicarboxylic acid derivative having a naphthalenediimide (NDI) core, namely, bis‐N‐carboxymethyl naphthalenediimide ( NDI‐G ), was reacted with n‐alkyl amines with varying alkyl chain lengths to generate a new series of primary ammonium dicarboxylate (PAD) salts. The majority of the salts (≈85 %) were found to gel various polar solvents. The gels were characterized by dynamic rheology and high‐resolution electron microscopy. Single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction analyses were used to study the supramolecular synthon present in one of the gelator salts (i.e., S8 ). Charge‐transfer (CT)‐induced gelation with donor molecules such as anthracene methanol ( Ant ) and pyrene ( Py ) was also possible with S8 . The CT complex ( S8.Ant ) displayed anticancer activity as probed by cell migration assay on the highly aggresive breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐231 . The DMSO gel of S8.Ant also displayed semiconducting behavior. To the best of our knowledge, simple organic salts with an NDI core that display such mulitifunctional properties are hitherto unknown.     

Fabrication and characterization of gold nanospheres‐cored pH‐sensitive thiol‐ended triblock copolymer: A smart drug delivery system for cancer therapy

Conventional chemotherapy suffers lack of multidrug resistance (MDR), lack of bioavailability, and selectivity. Nano‐sized drug delivery systems (DDS) are developing aimed to solve several limitations of conventional DDS. These systems have been offered for targeting tumor tissue owing to enhanced long circulation time, drug solubility, their retention effect, and improved permeability. As a result, the aim of this project was the design and development of DDS for biomedical applications. For this purpose, gold nanospheres (GNSs) covered by pH‐sensitive thiol‐ended triblock copolymer [poly(methacrylic acid) ‐b‐poly(acrylamide) ‐b‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐SH; PMAA‐b‐PAM‐b‐PCL‐SH] for delivery of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The chemical structures of triblock copolymer were investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used for calculating the molecular weights of each part in the nanocarrier. The success of coating, GNSs with triblock copolymer was considered by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS), FTIR, ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement. The pH‐responsive drug release ability, (DOX)‐loading capacity, biocompatibility, and in vitro cytotoxicity effects of the nanocarriers were also studied. As a result, it is expected that the synthesized GNSs@polymer‐DOX considered as a potential application in nanomedicine demand like smart drug delivery, imaging, and chemo‐photothermal therapy.     

Solid‐state NMR characterization of tri‐ethyleneglycol grafted polyisocyanopeptides

In aqueous media, ethylene glycol substituted polyisocyanopeptides (PICPs) change their state (undergo a sol‐to‐gel transition) as a response to temperature. This makes them promising materials for various biomedical applications, for instance, for controlled drug release and non‐damaging wound dressing. To utilize PICP in biomedical applications, understanding of the origin of the gelation process is needed, but this is experimentally difficult because of the notoriously low gelator concentration in combination with the slow polymer dynamics in the sample. This paper describes a detailed characterization of the dried state of PICPs by solid‐state NMR measurements. Both the ¹³C and the ¹H NMR resonances were assigned using a combination of 1D cross‐polarization magic angle spinning, 2D ¹³C–¹H heteronuclear correlation spectra and ¹H–¹H single quantum–double quantum experiments. In addition, the chemical groups involved in dipolar interaction with each other were used to discuss the dynamics and spatial conformation of the polymer. In contrast to other PICP polymers, two resonances for the backbone carbon are observed, which are present in equal amounts. The possible origin of these resonances is discussed in the last section of this work. The data obtained during the current studies will be further used in elucidating mechanisms of the bundling and gelation. A comprehensive picture will make it possible to tailor polymer properties to meet specific needs in different applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Self‐Assembly of Novel s‐Tetrazine‐Based Gelator

The design, synthesis and self‐assembly of new symmetrical 3,6‐bis(4‐(3,4,5‐tris(dodecyloxy)benzoate)phenyl)‐1,2,4,5‐tetrazine were described. The novel gelator, sym‐tetrazine, was prepared by addition reaction of 4‐cyanophenol with hydrazine monohydrate followed by oxidation reaction to afford the corresponding 3,6‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1,2,4,5‐tetrazine which was then subjected to esterification reaction with 3,4,5‐tris(dodecyloxy)benzoic acid. The chemical structure of the sym‐tetrazine gelator was confirmed by elemental analysis, fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR) spectral measurements. It was confirmed to exhibit relatively strong gelation ability to produce supramolecular assemblies in several polar alcoholic organic solvents, such as butanol, octanol, and 1,6‐dihydroxyhexane. The π‐π stacking and van der Waals mediated self‐assembly of tetrazine‐based organogelator were studied by scanning electron microscopy images of the xerogel to reveal that the obtained organogel consists of fibrillar aggregates. Investigation of FT‐IR and concentration‐dependent ¹H‐NMR spectra confirm that the intermolecular van der Waals interactions and π‐π stacking were the key driving forces for self‐assembly during gelation process of s‐tetrazine molecules.     

An Easy Access to Organic Salt‐Based Stimuli‐Responsive and Multifunctional Supramolecular Hydrogels

By exploiting orthogonal hydrogen bonding involving supramolecular synthons and hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions, a new series of simple organic salt based hydrogelators derived from pyrene butyric acid and its β‐alanine amide derivative, and various primary amines has been achieved. The hydrogels were characterised by microscopy, table‐top rheology and dynamic rheology. FTIR, variable‐temperature ¹H NMR and emission spectroscopy established the role of various supramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking in hydrogelation. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD) studies supported the conclusion that orthogonal hydrogen bonding involving amide–amide and primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) synthons indeed played a crucial role in hydrogelation. The hydrogels were found to be stimuli‐responsive and were capable of sensing ammonia and adsorbing water‐soluble dye (methylene blue). All the hydrogelators were biocompatible (MTT assay in RAW 264.7 cells), indicating their suitability for use in drug delivery.     

2‐(Dinitromethylene)‐1‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopentane‐Based Energetic Salts

Energetic salts that contain nitrogen‐rich cations and the 2‐(dinitromethyl)‐3‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopent‐1‐ene anion were synthesized in high yield by direct neutralization reactions. The resulting salts were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H and ¹³C), vibrational spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, density and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and elemental analysis. Additionally, the structures of the ammonium ( 1 ) and isopropylideneaminoguanidinium ( 9 ) 2‐(dinitromethyl)‐3‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopent‐l‐ene salts were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Solid‐state ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopy was used as an effective technique to further determine the structure of some of the products. The densities of the energetic salts paired with organic cations fell between 1.50 and 1.79 g · cm^–3 as measured by a gas pycnometer. Based on the measured densities and calculated heats of formation, detonation pressures and velocities were calculated using Explo 5.05 and found to to be 25.2–35.5 GPa and 7949–9004 m · s^–1, respectively, which make them competitive energetic materials.     

Precursor‐involved and Conversion Rate‐controlled Self‐assembly of a 'Super Gelator' in Thixotropic Hydrogels for Drug Delivery

Enzymatic hydrogelation is a totally different process to the heating‐cooling gelation process, in which the precursors of the gelators can be involved during the formation of self‐assembled structures. Using thixotropic hydrogels formed by a super gelator as our studied system, we demonstrated that the enzyme concentration/conversion rate of enzymatic reaction had a strong influence on the morphology of resulting self‐assembled nanostructures and the property of resulting hydrogels. The principle demonstrated in this study not only helps to understand and elucidate the phenomenon of self‐assembly triggered by enzymes in biological systems, but also offers a unique methodology to control the morphology of self‐assembled structures for specific applications such as controlled drug release.     

New fluorous ponytailed 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridinium halide salts

It is possible that fluorous compounds could be utilized as directing forces in crystal engineering for applications in materials chemistry or catalysis. Although numerous fluorous compounds have been used for various applications, their structures in the solid state remains a lively matter for debate. The reaction of 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridine with HX (X = I or Cl) yielded new fluorous ponytailed pyridinium halide salts, namely 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridinium iodide, C₈H₉F₃NO⁺·I⁻, (1), and 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridinium chloride, C₈H₉F₃NO⁺·Cl⁻, (2), which were characterized by IR spectroscopy, multinuclei (¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹F) NMR spectroscopy and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Structure analysis showed that there are two types of hydrogen bonds, namely N—H…X and C—H…X. The iodide anion in salt (1) is hydrogen bonded to three 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridinium cations in the crystal packing, while the chloride ion in salt (2) is involved in six hydrogen bonds to five 4‐[(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxy)methyl]pyridinium cations, which is attributed to the smaller size and reduced polarizability of the chloride ion compared to the iodide ion. In the IR spectra, the pyridinium N—H stretching band for salt (1) exhibited a blue shift compared with that of salt (2).     

Energetic Materials Based on the 5‐Azido‐3‐nitro‐1, 2,4‐tri­azolate Anion

This study presents the preparation of 5‐azido‐3‐nitro‐1H‐1, 2,4‐triazole ( 1 ) in both good yield and high purity, starting from commercially available chemicals in a three step synthesis. Furthermore, several metal and nitrogen‐rich salts with sodium ( 3 ), potassium ( 4 ), cesium ( 5 ), silver ( 6 ), lead ( 7 ), ammonium ( 8 ), guanidinium ( 9 ), and aminoguanidinium ( 10 ) were prepared by simple acid‐base reactions. All compounds were well characterized by various means, including vibrational (IR, Raman) and multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁴N, ¹⁵N) NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and DSC. Additionally the structure of 7 was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The sensitivities towards various outer stimuli (impact, friction, electrostatic discharge) were determined according to BAM standards. The metal salts were tested as potential primary explosives utilizing various preliminary tests.     

Rational Approach Towards Designing Metallogels From a Urea‐Functionalized Pyridyl Dicarboxylate: Anti‐inflammatory,Anticancer, and Drug Delivery

A structural rationale was adopted to design a series of metallogels from a newly synthesized urea‐functionalized dicarboxylate ligand, namely, 5‐[3‐(pyridin‐3‐yl)ureido]isophthalic acid ( PUIA ), that produces metallogels upon reaction with various metal salts (Cu^II, Zn^II, Co^II, Cd^II, and Ni^II salts) at room temperature. The gels were characterized by dynamic rheology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The existence of a coordination bond in the gel state was probed by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy in a Zn^II metallogel (i.e., MG2 ). Single crystals isolated from the reaction mixture of PUIA and Co^II or Cd^II salts characterized by X‐ray diffraction revealed lattice inclusion of solvent molecules, which was in agreement with the hypothesis based on which the metallogels were designed. MG2 displayed anti‐inflammatory response (prostaglandin E₂ assay) in the macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and anticancer properties (cell migration assay) on a highly aggressive human breast cancer cell line (MDA‐MB‐231). The MG2 metallogel matrix could also be used to load and release (pH responsive) the anticancer drug doxorubicin. Fluorescence imaging of MDA‐MB‐231 cells treated with MG2 revealed that it was successfully internalized.     

In Situ Gel‐to‐Crystal Transition and Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Obtained by Fluorination of a Cyclic β‐Aminoalcohol Gelator

A new fluorinated version of a cyclic β‐aminoalcohol gelator derived from 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline is presented. The gelator is able to gel various nonprotic solvents through OH???N hydrogen bonds and additional CH???F interactions due to the introduction of fluorine. A bimolecular lamellar structure is formed in the gel phase, which partly preserves the pattern of molecular organization in the single crystal. The racemate of the chiral gelator shows lower gelation ability than its enantiomer because of a higher tendency to form microcrystals, as shown by X‐ray diffraction analysis. The influence of fluorination on the self‐assembly of the gelator and the properties of the gel was investigated in comparison to the original fluorine‐free gel system. The introduction of fluorine brings two new features. The first is good recognition of o‐xylene by the gelator, which induces an in situ transition from gels of o‐xylene and of an o‐xylene/toluene mixture to identical single crystals with unique tubular architecture. The second is the enhanced stability of the toluene gel towards ions, including quaternary ammonium salts, which enables the preparation of a stable toluene gel in the presence of chloroaurate or chloroplatinate. The gel system can be used as a template for the synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles with a diameter of 5 to 9 nm and wormlike platinum nanostructures with a diameter of 2 to 3 nm and a length of 5 to 12 nm. This is the first example of a synthesis of platinum nanoparticles in an organogel medium. Therefore, the appropriate introduction of a fluorine atom and corresponding nonbonding interactions into a known gelator to tune the properties and functions of a gel is a simple and effective tactic for design of a gel system with specific targets.