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MDPI, Gels, 6(8), p. 390, 2022

DOI: 10.3390/gels8060390

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Unravelling the Supramolecular Driving Forces in the Formation of CO2-Responsive Pseudopeptidic Low-Molecular-Weight Hydrogelators

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

A new family of C2-symmetric pseudopeptides with a high functional density for supramolecular interactions has been synthetized through the attachment of four amino acid subunits to a diamino aliphatic spacer. The resulting open-chain compounds present remarkable properties as low-molecular-weight hydrogelators. The self-assembled 3D networks were characterized by SEM analyses, observing regular nanofibres with 80–100 nm diameters. Spectroscopic and molecular modelling experiments revealed the presence of strong synergic effects between the H-bonding and π–π interactions, with the best results obtained for the homoleptic tetra-pseudopeptide derived from l-Phe. In addition, these bioinspired hydrogels possessed pH- and CO2-responsive sol–gel transitions. The formation of ammonium carbamate derivatives in the presence of carbon dioxide led to a detrimental change in its adequate self-assembly. CO2 desorption temperatures of ca. 70 °C were assigned to the thermodynamically favoured recovery of the supramolecular gel.