Abstract
Different polymeric materials have been prepared from the organogels formed by a polymerizable methacrylic mixture (methyl methacrylate/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1:1, w/w) and the macrocyclic pseudopeptide 1. The use of (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)diphenylphosphine oxide as a very efficient radical initiator allows polymeric materials in which the structure of the fibrils formed by self-assembly of the organogelator 1 is truly preserved to be obtained. Removal of the pseudopeptidic molecule provides materials with a porous structure reflecting that of the original self-assembled fibrils. The use of fluorescent probes such as rhodamine B and pyrene greatly facilitate the study of the porous structures formed and, accordingly, that of the morphology of the original fibrils. Those studies reveal the presence of a permanent porosity and the organization of the substructures as a porous network. This confirms the existence of a nucleation and growth mechanism for the generation of the fibrils, giving rise to the formation of spherulitic structures. Those spherulites are additionally linked by connections of variable size. A series of diffusion experiments allowed establishment of a direct dependence of the inner porosity of the materials on the amount of self-organizing template used for their preparation.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 9795-9803 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Langmuir |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2 Sept 2008 |
Keywords
- Gelation
- Gels
- Gelator molecules