Poly(benzyl ether) dendrons without conventional gelation motifs as a new kind of effective organogelators.

Two poly(benzyl ether) dendrons, decorated in their periphery with nitrile groups, were divergently synthesized and fully characterized. Their gelation properties were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray crystal structure analysis and concentration- and temperature-dependent H NMR spectroscopy. It was found that the gelation capability of these dendrons was highly dependent on dendron generation, and the second-generation dendron G-CN proved to be highly efficient organogelator despite the lacking of any conventional gelation motifs, such as amides, long alkyl side chains and steroidal groups. The multiple strong π-π stacking interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions due to the peripheral isophthalonitrile motifs were proved to be the main driving forces to form the self-assembled gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]