Ultra‐Low‐Molecular‐Weight Stimuli‐Responsive and Multifunctional Supramolecular Gels Based on Monomer and Trimer of Hydrazides

Dehua Wu，Jintong Song，Lang Qu，Weilan Zhou，Lei Wang，Xiangge Zhou，Haifeng Xiang*

Chemistry -An Asian Journal，DOI：10.1002/asia.202001041

The simpler, the better. A series of simple, neutral and ultra-low-molecular-weight (MW: 140-200) hydrazide-derived supramolecular gelators have been designed and synthesized in two straightforward steps. For non-conjugated cyclohexane-derived hydrazides, their monomers can self-assemble to form gels through intermolecular hydrogen bonds and dipole-dipole interactions. Significantly, conjugated phthalhydrazide can self-aggregate into planar and circular trimers through intermolecular hydrogen bonds and then self-assemble to form gels through intermolecular p-p stacking interactions. It is interested that these simple gelators exhibit unusual properties, such as self-healing, multi-response fluorescence, and visual and selective recognition of chiral (R)/(S)-1,1’-binaphthalene-2,2’-diamine and S^2- through much different times of gel re-formation and blue-green color change, respectively. These results underline the importance of supramolecular gels and extend the scope of supramolecular gelators.