Gel-based supramolecular ON-OFF switch from aryl-triazolyl peptides with excellent chiro-optical, thixotropic, and self-healing characteristicsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, NMR, IR, Rheology, Gelation studies, etc. See DOI: 10.1039/c8sm00050f

• Main Authors: Srivastava, Bhartendu K, Muraleedharan, Kannoth M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1744-683X; 1744-6848
• DOI: 10.1039/c8sm00050f

Systematic structure-property optimization of an achiral gelator (aryl-triazolyl homo dipeptide, 1.0 ) through a fragment replacement approach led to the identification of a new chiral system (aryl-triazolyl dipeptide 1.4 having leucine as the C-terminal residue) which exhibits consistent and perfectly reversible chiro-optical responses on sol-gel transition that can work like an ON-OFF switch. The gelator 1.4 could also direct the assembly of 1.0 in a sergeant-soldier mode to give similar CD responses. In addition, its gels are mouldable, self-healing and highly thixotropic, making it important from an application standpoint. Systematic structure-property optimization of an achiral gelator (aryl-triazolyl homo dipeptide) through a fragment replacement approach led to the identification of a new chiral system having leucine as the C-terminal residue, which exhibits consistent and perfectly reversible chiro-optical responses on sol-gel transition.