Low‐molecular‐weight organogelators as functional materials for oil spill remediation

Oil spills from tankers are one of the major types of man‐made disasters that impact the marine environment, and they have been shown to have long‐lasting effects. On prevention of the spread of oil through rapid cleanup of spills, low‐molecular‐weight organogelators have received much attention because of their ability to tune their properties through rational design. In this mini‐review, I present a brief summary of studies focused on the remediation of oil spills via a chemical method, which involves the use of low‐molecular‐weight organogelators that form organogels with fuel oils or organic solvents. Moreover, recent attempts to create new improved molecular organogels composed of commercially available simple organogelators via a mixing induced enhancement method for solidifying oil are also discussed. In addition, polymer organogelators for oil spills are discussed in relation to low‐molecular weight gelators. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.