Formation mechanism of supramolecular hydrogels in the presence of L-phenylalanine derivative as a hydrogelator

A novel chiral hydrogelator, L-phenylalanine derivative can self-assemble in aqueous media at different pH values to form supramolecular hydrogels. The images of the FE-SEM indicate that different aggregates of TC(18)PheBu in morphology were formed, which further lead to the formation of spherical crystallites as observed by polarized optical microscope (POM). The FT-IR spectra of the supramolecular hydrogels reveal that intermolecular hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions are the driving forces for the self-assembly of TC(18)PheBu. Fluorescence spectra of TC(18)PheBu in aqueous solutions in the presence of pyrene as a probe further confirm the importance of hydrophobic interactions for the self-assembly. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of TC(18)PheBu in supramolecular hydrogels in the presence of KF indicate that the hydrogen-bonding interaction can be disrupted by fluoride ions, which further confirm the importance of hydrogen bonding for the self-assembly of TC(18)PheBu.