Investigation on the assembled structure-property correlation of supramolecular hydrogel formed from low-molecular-weight gelator

The investigation on structure-property correlation is important for understanding the gelating mechanism of supramolecular hydrogels. In this paper, a low-molecular-weight hydrogelator (termed as gelator 1) prepared from 1,2,4,5-benzene tetracarboxylic acid (BTA) and 4-hydroxy pyridine (PHP) was able to gel water effectively. The influence of environmental stimulation, such as cooling speed and ultrasonic treatment, on the structure of the assembling fibers and the macroscopic properties of the gels was investigated via multiple techniques. The results indicated that the fiber size decreased as increasing the cooling speed and the smallest fibers were obtained under ultrasonic treatment. As the fibers became smaller, the gel with higher T(gel), lower bonded water content and higher dynamic modulus was obtained. Therefore it is possible to control the gel performances via the environmental stimulation. The relationship between the assembled structure and properties is helpful for understanding the gel formation mechanism and makes the gels suitable for different applications.