Benzohydrazide Derivatives: Gelation and Application in Oil Spill Recovery

The synthesis and gelation properties of a series of organogelators containing a benzohydrazide unit and two alkoxy chains(oBn) were reported herein. oBn(n=8, 10, 12) could form stable gels in commercial fuels(e.g., diesel), which were characterized by low critical gelation concentrations(CGCs) and good mechanical properties (G'>10⁵ Pa). The gelation process was further studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and X-ray diffraction(XRD), etc. It was demonstrated that in these organogels, molecules self-assembled into fibrils 3D-network, where hydrogen bonding, van der Waals force and π-π interaction were confirmed as the driving forces. As compounds oBn(n=8, 10, 12) show very good gelation properties in diesel, their applications in oil spill treatment have also been tested. It was found that oBn could achieve rapid (<30 s) and effective oil removal at room temperature, being good candidates for oil spill treatment in the future. Also, the removal efficiency could be as high as 95%.