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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Investigating gel properties of amino acid-based multicomponent low molecular weight gelators Loos, Jeanette Nicole
Abstract
Supramolecular gels were prepared from low molecular weight gelators and explored for their various properties. Amino acids were used for synthesizing the gelators, because of their biocompatibility and availability, creating a series of compounds to investigate for gel behavior. First, the properties of gels prepared from individual amino acid-based gelators were evaluated and compared with gels prepared from combinations of two gelators. Through the addition of a second gelator, it was found that the optical properties of the gel could be tuned between transparent and opaque by changing the component ratio in the gel. The properties were investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. This work highlights the advantage of multicomponent gels to modify the gel’s behavior, allowing new soft materials to be developed. Second, a series of amino acid-based gelators was synthesized to understand the link between molecular design and gelation behavior. The self-assembly, minimum gelation concentration and structural design were compared by collecting data using differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. The collected data were analyzed using statistical analysis where correlations were found between self-assembly/gelation concentration and gelator design. This allows for a design handbook to be created for researchers to design a gelator with known properties prior to testing, which currently is challenging to predict. Lastly, five multicomponent gelators were studied for their ability to form stable free-standing gels. Rheology experiments showed that the gels have excellent mechanical stability, so gels were cast in molds and retained their shape. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the diffusion of a guest in the gel, which showed the dynamic nature of the gel, with guest diffusion depending on solvent compatibility. These gels showed the dynamic nature of the supramolecular gel, as well as the mechanical stability possible using low gelator loadings. Multicomponent gels formed from low molecular weight gelators allows one to access a wide variety of soft materials from a limited number of molecular components. The discoveries described in this thesis help advance the field of gelators and make steps toward predicting the properties of gels formed from them.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Investigating gel properties of amino acid-based multicomponent low molecular weight gelators
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| Creator | |
| Supervisor | |
| Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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| Date Issued |
2023
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| Description |
Supramolecular gels were prepared from low molecular weight gelators and explored for their various properties. Amino acids were used for synthesizing the gelators, because of their biocompatibility and availability, creating a series of compounds to investigate for gel behavior.
First, the properties of gels prepared from individual amino acid-based gelators were evaluated and compared with gels prepared from combinations of two gelators. Through the addition of a second gelator, it was found that the optical properties of the gel could be tuned between transparent and opaque by changing the component ratio in the gel. The properties were investigated using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. This work highlights the advantage of multicomponent gels to modify the gel’s behavior, allowing new soft materials to be developed.
Second, a series of amino acid-based gelators was synthesized to understand the link between molecular design and gelation behavior. The self-assembly, minimum gelation concentration and structural design were compared by collecting data using differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. The collected data were analyzed using statistical analysis where correlations were found between self-assembly/gelation concentration and gelator design. This allows for a design handbook to be created for researchers to design a gelator with known properties prior to testing, which currently is challenging to predict.
Lastly, five multicomponent gelators were studied for their ability to form stable free-standing gels. Rheology experiments showed that the gels have excellent mechanical stability, so gels were cast in molds and retained their shape. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the diffusion of a guest in the gel, which showed the dynamic nature of the gel, with guest diffusion depending on solvent compatibility. These gels showed the dynamic nature of the supramolecular gel, as well as the mechanical stability possible using low gelator loadings.
Multicomponent gels formed from low molecular weight gelators allows one to access a wide variety of soft materials from a limited number of molecular components. The discoveries described in this thesis help advance the field of gelators and make steps toward predicting the properties of gels formed from them.
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| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2024-03-31
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0428827
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| URI | |
| Degree | |
| Program | |
| Affiliation | |
| Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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| Graduation Date |
2023-05
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| Campus | |
| Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International