Architecture of a biocompatible supramolecular material by supersaturation-driven fabrication of its fiber network

Abstract

The architecture of a biocompatible organogel formed by gelation of a small molecule organic gelator, N-lauroyl-L-glutamic acid di-n-butylamide, in isostearyl alcohol was investigated based on a supersaturation-driven crystallographic mismatch branching mechanism. By controlling the supersaturation of the system, the correlation length that determines the mesh size of the fiber network was finely tuned and the rheological properties of the gel were engineered. This approach is of considerable significance for many gel-based applications, such as controlled release of drugs that requires precise control of the mesh size. A direct cryotransmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging technique capable of preserving the network structure was used to visualize its nanostructure. © 2005 American Chemical Society.