Hierarchically Compartmentalized Supramolecular Gels through Multilevel Self-Sorting

Hierarchical compartmentalization through the bottom-up approach is ubiquitous in living cells but remains a formidable task in synthetic systems. Here we report on hierarchically compartmentalized supramolecular gels that are spontaneously formed by multilevel self-sorting. Two types of molecular gelators are formed in situ from...

Free-standing supramolecular hydrogel objects by reaction-diffusion

Self-assembly provides access to a variety of molecular materials, yet spatial control over structure formation remains difficult to achieve. Here we show how reaction-diffusion (RD) can be coupled to a molecular self-assembly process to generate macroscopic free-standing objects with control over shape, size, and functionality. In RD, two or...

Catalysis of Supramolecular Hydrogelation

ConspectusOne often thinks of catalysts as chemical tools to accelerate a reaction or to have a reaction run under more benign conditions. As such, catalysis has a role to play in the chemical industry and in lab scale synthesis that is not to be underestimated. Still, the role of catalysis in living systems (cells, organisms) is much more...