Novel bis(aminoalcohol)oxalamide organogelators and their diglycolylamide analogs: Evaluation of gelation efficiency in various organic fluids

Article abstract of DOI:10.3906/kim-1701-76

Three modular types of bis(aminoalcohol)oxalamides (1, 4, and 7) and bis(aminoalcohol)diglycolylamide (8) gelators have been prepared by the reaction of the respective aminoalcohols with oxalyl and digycolyl methylesters as potential low-molecular-weight organogelators. The gelation properties of these amides have been evaluated in various aromatic organic solvents (xylene, toluene, isopropyl benzene, and aromatic ether type organic uids such as anisole or α-phenylethylmethylether) as well as the long-chain aliphatic alcohols (1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, and aromatic 1- phenylethanol). The compounds with sec-butyl and ethyl side chains produce good gelation properties in both aromatic and other organic uids. Furthermore, the common oxalamide linker present in the gelators was replaced by an extended diglycolylamide linker (8) and its behaviors were compared with the benzylic oxalamide analog (3). The gelator (8) gives the best results with aromatic fluid and lauric acid ethyl ester. ¹H NMR studies reveal the existence of temperature- dependent network assembly/dissolution equilibrium and produce K_gel. FTIR was employed to see the effect of hydrogen bonding in the formation of gel network. Thermodynamic parameters regarding gel-to-sol transition were collected with van't Hoff relationships.

Full text of DOI:10.3906/kim-1701-76

Turk J Chem
Turkish Journal of Chemistry
(2017) 41: 658 – 671
¨
http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/chem/
˙
c
⃝ TUBITAK
doi:10.3906/kim-1701-76
Research Article
Novel bis(aminoalcohol)oxalamide organogelators and their diglycolylamide
analogs: evaluation of gelation efficiency in various organic fluids
1
2
1
1,∗
˙
˙
˙
˘
¨
Mehmet C¸ OLAK , Deniz BARIS¸ , Necmettin PIRINC¸ C¸ IOGLU , Halil HOS¸GOREN
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, Batman University, Batman, Turkey
Received: 30.01.2017
•
Accepted/Published Online: 20.03.2017
•
Final Version: 10.11.2017
Abstract: Three modular types of bis(aminoalcohol)oxalamides (1, 4, and 7) and bis(aminoalcohol)diglycolylamide (8)
gelators have been prepared by the reaction of the respective aminoalcohols with oxalyl and digycolyl methylesters as
potential low-molecular-weight organogelators. The gelation properties of these amides have been evaluated in various
aromatic organic solvents (xylene, toluene, isopropyl benzene, and aromatic ether type organic fluids such as anisole or
α-phenylethylmethylether) as well as the long-chain aliphatic alcohols (1-hexanol, 1-octanol, 2-octanol, and aromatic 1-
phenylethanol). The compounds with sec-butyl and ethyl side chains produce good gelation properties in both aromatic
and other organic fluids. Furthermore, the common oxalamide linker present in the gelators was replaced by an extended
diglycolylamide linker (8) and its behaviors were compared with the benzylic oxalamide analog (3). The gelator (8) gives
the best results with aromatic fluid and lauric acid ethyl ester. 1 H NMR studies reveal the existence of temperature-
dependent network assembly/dissolution equilibrium and produce Kgel . FTIR was employed to see the effect of hydrogen
bonding in the formation of gel network. Thermodynamic parameters regarding gel-to-sol transition were collected with
van’t Hoff relationships.
Key words: Gelation, self-assembly, low-molecular-weight organogels, infrared, NMR spectroscopy, hydrogen bonding,
chiral amidediols
1. Introduction
Organogelators are low-molecular-weight organic molecules. They can form gels at low concentrations and
thus create a three-dimensional network in organic solvents.1−5 Because of their soft material properties, they
receive significant interest in a variety of applications such as cosmetics, templated materials, drug delivery,
enzyme-immobilization matrices, tissue engineering, optical sensors, and phase-selective gelation, as well as in
the conservation of art materials.6−13 The works by Shinkai, Hanabusa, Hamilton and van Esch, and other
groups marked the beginning of the design of molecular gelators in the mid-1990,14 followed by the tailored
rational design and synthesis of molecules having versatile gelation ability. Consequently, the emergence of low-
molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) has occupied a key place in immobilization of solvents for a broad spectrum
of applications, because of their supramolecular 3D networks, which are gained via noncovalent interactions such
as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, electrostatic, and π-π aggregation.15 There are two major types of gels
based on the nature of the liquid that is immobilized. Gels that cause the immobilization of water are called
hydrogels and those causing the immobilization of organic solvents are called organogels.16
∗Correspondence: hosgoren@dicle.edu.tr
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
Chiral bis(aminoalcohol)oxalamides 2, 3, 5, and 6 are known as LMWGs for common organic fluids.17,18
On the other hand, the gelation properties of 1 and 4 have only been tested in pharmaceutical fluids such as
fatty acid esters.13 The present study aims to investigate the gelation behaviors of 1 and 4 (Scheme) not only in
common organic solvents but also in unusual solvents such as aromatic ethers and long-chain alcohols. The work
also offers the synthesis of two new candidate gelators, 7 and 8 (Scheme), prepared by simple modifications,
the former by changing the alkyl chain with the long hexyl group and the latter by alteration of the common
oxalamide core with diglycolyldiamide, and involves the first report of the organogelation properties of 7 and 8
in common organic solvents as well as in unusual solvents such as anisole, PhEME (α-phenylethylmethylether),
1-phenyl ethanol, and long-chain alcohols. Tgel measurements were employed to determine the thermal stability
of these gels. 1 H NMR was used to obtain the thermodynamic quantities of the gelation process such as Kgel
and ∆Hgel and FTIR spectroscopy was used to analyze hydrogen bond formation in the gel network.
O
O
O
O
R
H
N
NH
OH
HN
HO
Ph
OH
Ph
HO
N
H
R
O
1-7
8
Scheme. The structures of bis(amino alcohol)oxalamide and diglycoldiamide. R = Ethyl 1 (R,R); R = Phenyl 2
(S ,S); R = Benzyl 3 (S ,S); R = sec-Buthyl 4 (S ,S); R = Isobuthyl 5 (S ,S); R = Isopropyl 6 (S ,S); R = n-Hexyl
7 (rac); 8 R = Benzyl (S, S).
2. Results and discussion
2.1. Determination of minimum gel concentration
The oxalyl types of bis(aminoalcohol)diamide derivative gelators 2–6 are well-known as LMWGs for organic
fluids and their properties that have been reported in several papers.17,18 The other oxalyl type gelators, 1
and 4, containing different alkyl chains, have been evaluated as a gel matrix in pharmaceutically acceptable
organic fluids.13 Current work reports the synthesis of diglycolyldiamide type 8 and oxalyl type 7 gelators
and investigation of their potentials as organogelators along with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The result of gelation
experiments with gelators 1, 4, 7, and 8 in different nonaromatic solvents are shown in Table 1. The efficiency
of gelation is stated by the minimum gel concentration (MGC) in mg/mL. When the gelation properties of
gelators are compared, 1, 4, 7, and 8 have striking differences. Derivative 8 was found to form a gel only in
lauric acid ethyl ester (LEE) with MGC of 2 mg/mL. Similarly, compound 4 appeared to form a gel in LEE
and decalin, whereas racemic gel 7 was formed in almost all the solvents but with higher MGCs (7–30 mg/mL).
This may be attributed to its enhanced solvophilicity in the tested solvents caused by the longer site chains
(hexyl groups). Gelator 1, which has the shortest alkyl group, results in stable gel in the majority of tested
fluids. Furthermore, it seems that the replacement of the oxalyl core with a diglycolyl linker decreases the
gelation ability for gelator 3 with the former linker having better gelation ability compared to that of 8 (Table
1). However, the gelation efficiency of 8 was improved in the aromatic fluids and LEE (Table 2). The gelation
behaviors of gelators 1, 4, 7, and 8 in different aromatic solvents are demonstrated in Table 2. They show that
1, 4, and 8 function as excellent organogelators in aromatic fluids (See Figure 1 for 4 in xylene gel). However,
7 showed much less efficient gelation in the analogous solvents. Moreover, it was found that 1, 4, 7, and 8
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
have remarkably different gelation behaviors in oxygenic aromatic fluids such as anisole, PhEME, and 1-phenyl
ethanol. They all showed much less efficient gelation in anisole with MGCs of higher than 13 mg/mL, except 3
with 2 mg/mL, whereas the (R)-2-butanol derivative gelator 1 showed efficient gel formation in PhEME and
1-phenyl ethanol with MGCs of 5 mg/mL and 3 mg/mL, respectively, and also 4 with MGC of 3.3 mg/mL in
PhEME.
Table 1. Minimum gel concentration (MGC as mg/mL) in the nonaromatic organic fluids.
Solvent
Acetonitrile 2.4 (og) cry
CHCl3
LEE
Hexanol
1-Octanol
2-Octanol
1-Decanol
Decalin
1
4
7
p
8
sol
3
cry
-
2
5 (tg)
◦
sol
4
sol
8 (og)
N.T.
4 (og)
-
sol
4
cry
cry
7 (og) (4 C) sol
30 (og)
o
2
-
10 (4 C)
20 (og)
N.T. 2.7 (tlg)
N.T. N.T.
N.T. 2 (tlg)
N.T. 20 (og)
cry
7
12 (tlg)
20 (og)
sol
4 (wg)
og: opaque gel, wg: weak gel, sol: soluble, cry: crystal, tg: transparent gel, N.T: not tested, (-): denotes no gelation,
tlg: translucent gel.
Table 2. Minimum gelation concentration (MGC as a mg/mL) of 1, 4, 7, and 8 in aromatic solvents.
Solvent
o-Xylene
m-Xylene
p-Xylene
Toluene
Isopropyl benzene
PhEME
Anisole
1
4
7
8
7
3
3
3
2 (og)
2 (og)
2 (og)
ins
3
5
5 (og)
5 (og)
5 (og)
7 (og)
7
25 (wg)
25 (wg)
25 (wg)
20 (og) cry
24 (wg)
N.T.
1.22i
1.67i
1.67i
1.25i
2 (wg)
N.T.
7
sol
3.3
13 (og) 13 (tg) 21 (wg) 15 (og) 2 (tg)
3 30 sol sol 15 (tg)
1-Phenyl ethanol
PhEME: α-Phenylethylmethylether, og: opaque gel, wg: weak gel, sol: soluble, ins: insoluble, cry: crystal, tg:
transparent gel, N.T: not tested, (-): denotes no gelation. i) Taken from the literature.18
Figure 1. A typical gel structure of 4 in xylene.
The MGCs of the samples in nonaromatic and aromatic fluids required for gelation are demonstrated in
Tables 1 and 2, respectively.
The effect of various alkyl chains on the gelation efficiency indicated that the shorter chain length in 1
has the best scores in aromatic and nonaromatic solvents, while 4 with the sec-butyl side chain also had good
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
gelation efficiency in aromatic fluids. On the other hand, 7 did not demonstrate good gelation efficiency in the
two types of tested fluids.
2.2. Gel-to-sol dissociation temperature (Tgel ) measurement
The temperature dependence of the MGC (mg/mL) required for organogelation in anisole is presented in
Figure 2. Dropping ball measurements were employed in the determination of the temperatures of the gel-
to-sol transition (Tgel) for two types of bis(aminoalcohol)diamide derivatives in anisole and it was found that
increasing the concentration of gelators leads to an increase in the thermal stability of the gels (Figure 2).
The presence of aromatic side chains on the aminoalcohol part of gelators, such as phenyl and benzyl groups,
increases Tgel values (see Figure 2). This may be due to π-π interactions between the aromatic phenyl in
gelator 2 and the benzyl side chain in gelator 3 with the solvent. Moreover, 3 with an oxalamide linker forms a
thermally more stable gel than its diglycolylamide analog 8 in anisole. This is possibly associated with the more
rigid character of the oxalyl linker compared with the diglycolyl one. These measurements were not carried out
for 7 and 6 due to high MGC (21 mg/mL) and solubility in anisole, respectively.
120
100
80
60
1
2
40
20
0
3
4
5
8
0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
minimum gel concentration (mg/mL)
Figure 2. A plot of gel-to-sol transition temperature (Tgel) against the minimum gel concentration (mg/mL) of gelators
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 in anisole.
The relative thermal stability order of gelators is found to be 3 > 2 > 1 > 5 > 4 > 8 by considering
MGC of 12 mg/mL as a reference. At this concentration, the gel-to-sol melting transition for 2 and 3 reach
up to 100 ◦ C (see Figure 2). Furthermore, van’t Hoff relationships were employed to obtain thermodynamic
parameters for gel-to-sol transitions in order to analyze the detailed thermal behaviors of the gels.19,20 The
melting enthalpy of crystals is estimated by the van’t Hoff equation (Eq. (1)):
d ln Cg
d1/Tg
∆H2
=
(1)
R
This could also apply to obtaining the gel-sol transition enthalpy. Enthalpies of the gel-sol transition (∆Hgel
)
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
obtained from the slope of van’t Hoff plots for gels of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 in anisole are summarized in Table 3
and represented in Figure 3.
Table 3. Gel-sol transition enthalpies from the slope of van’t Hoff graphic ∆Hgel (kJ/mol).
Solvent
Anisole 17.64
MGC
1
2
48.95
3
4
5
80.50
1
6
-
7
-
8
63.33
61.96 20.95
13 (og) 3 (og) 2 (tg) 13 (tg)
(sol) 21 (wg) (15)
-3.5
-4.0
-4.5
-5.0
-5.5
-6.0
-6.5
-7.0
1
2
3
4
5
8
0.0025
0.0028
0.0031
1/T(K)
Figure 3. van’t Hoff plot of gelators 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 in anisole.
The gel-to-sol transition temperatures (Tgel) for the different concentrations of 1 and 4 in PhEME were
also determined and it was found that raising the gelator concentration increases the thermal stability of the
gels. The results reveal that 1 forms a more thermally stable gel than 4 in their equivalent concentrations
(Figure 4).
Furthermore, the gel-to-sol transition enthalpies (∆Hgel) estimated from the slope of van’t Hoff plots for
1 and 4 in PhEME were found as 116.36 and 69.18 kJ/mol, respectively (see Figure 5). They demonstrate that
these two gels are more stable in PhEME compared with anisole.
2.3. FTIR study
Hydrogen bonding plays a very essential role in the self-assembly of gelators and FTIR spectroscopy is the one
21−24
of the most powerful tools to study these interactions.
FTIR spectra of the xerogel state of 4 from xylene
and its solid state are demonstrated in Figure 6. The similarity of the spectra is the indication of intermolecular
hydrogen bonding in the gel.
The involvement of intramolecular hydrogen bonds was confirmed by the dilution of the xerogel form
of the gelator in chloroform (10−3 mol/dm3). The spectrum of 4 in the solid state produces the N-H bands
appearing at 3295 cm−1 while amide-I is at 1655 cm−1 . These stretching bands correspond to the hydrogen-
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
110
90
70
50
30
1
4
1.0
0.6
0.2
1
4
-0.2
-0.6
-1.0
0
10
20
30
0.0026
0.0028
1/T(K)
0.0030
concentration of gelator (mg/mL)
Figure 4. A plot of the gel-to-sol transition temperature
(Tgel) against the concentration of the gelators (1 and 4)
in PhEME.
Figure 5. van’t Hoff plot of 1 and 4 gelators in PhEME.
105
90
75
60
45
30
15
0
(ii)
(i)
3800
3500
3200
2900
2600
2300
2000
1700
1400
1100
800
500
wavenumbers, cm-1
Figure 6. FTIR spectra of 4 in the solid state and the xerogel form from xylene gel.
bonded N-H and C=O in the oxalamide component. These peaks shift to higher wave numbers in the diluted
solution of the gelator in chloroform (Figure 7a). The N-H band appears at 3392 and 3387 cm−1 and the
amide-I band appears at 1680 cm−1 . On the other hand, the peak corresponding to the amide-II at 1525 cm−1
in the solid state moves down to 1501 cm−1 in the solution (Figure 7b). Moreover, a broad band at 3440 cm−1
in the solid state appears at a higher wave number with a low intensity in the diluted sample. The IR spectra
imply that the OH and oxalamide functions take part in the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, which stabilizes
the gel-fiber organization and hence maintains the 3D network.25−28
2.4. Temperature- and concentration-dependent 1 H NMR spectra
It is usually expected that the gelator molecules collected in the rigid gel network give broadened signals and
reach a nonobservable point as a result of the long correlation times. The 1 H NMR spectra of the gels of 1 in
CD3 CN and 4 in d8 -toluene at room temperature display the residual signals of the nondeuterated solvent and
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100
80
60
40
20
0
100
80
b
a
-1
3383 cm
60
40
-1
3440 cm
20
-1
3280 cm
0
1800
1700
wavenumbers, cm-1
Figure 7. FTIR spectra of 4 in the xerogel form from xylene gel and in the solution diluted by chloroform. (a)
3500–3000 cm−1 , (b) 1800–1400 cm−1
1600
1500
1400
3600
3400
3200
3000
wavenumbers, cm-1
.
only a trace amount of gelators. When the temperature was raised, the signals of the gelator were intensified
and they yielded maximal intensity at temperatures above the gel melting points. Consequently, this may hint
that at room temperature the gelator molecules are aggregated in a rigid network, but as a result of heating
the network was disrupted and hence solvated smaller entities were formed, which lead to the observable NMR
signals.29−31 Therefore, the signals should correspond to gelators dissolved in the entrapped solvent. The plots
of Istd /IHi against temperatures for gelators 1 in CD3 CN and 4 in toluene-d8 are shown in Figures 8a and
8b, respectively.
5000
70
a
b
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90 100
t, oC
t, oC
Figure 8. The plot of Istd /IHi against temperatures for the gelators: (a) 1 in CD3 CN where solid squares correspond to
the integration in *CH and angles to that in NH and (b) 4 in toluene-d8 involving the internal standard (Cl2 CHCHCl2).
664

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The plots show that the gelators almost completely exist in the gel form at room temperature, but as the
temperature increases the deformation of the gel starts with a final collapse at a temperature corresponding to
Tgel . The following two hydrogen atoms (*CH or NH) produce similar results (Figure 8).
A similar observation was also found by the dilution of the gel sample. Addition of solvent also leads to
the release of entities from the network and hence this could be observed by NMR. The dilution will gradually
cause the release of gelator molecules from the network, which could be detected by 1 H NMR (Figures 9a and
9b). This also implies that the *CH and NH hydrogen are buried within the gel network since the gelators are
in gel form at the initial concentrations and they start to be disrupted by dilution. These two applications will
be very useful to collect data to understand some key points regarding the structures of the gels.
245
a
b
180
155
130
105
80
220
195
170
145
0.009
0.014
0.019
0.024
0.009
0.014
0.019
0.024
[G]tot, (mol/dm3)
[G]tot, (mol/dm3)
Figure 9. The plot of Isol /IHi against the concentration of the gelator for the gelators: (a) 1 in CD3 CN and (b) 4
toluene-d8 .
Thermodynamic parameters (∆Hd and ∆Sd ) calculated by plotting lnKd , determined by NMR, against
1/T for the gels of 1 and 4 (Figures 10a and 10b, respectively) are illustrated in Table 4. It appears that the
dissolution process is more likely enthalpy-controlled. The difference in ∆Hd implies that 4/d8 -toluene gel is
thermally more stable than 1/CD3 CN gel.
Table 4. Thermodynamic parameters calculated by NMR for the gels of 1/CD3 CN and 4/d8 -toluene at 25 ◦ C.
Gelator ∆Hd, kJ mol−1 ∆Sd, JK−1 mol−1 ∆Gd, kJ mol−1
1
4
38.43
72.53
0.42
67.51
38.31
52.42
In summary, the present study involves the synthesis of two new oxalamide- and diglycolylamide-based
organogelators and investigation of their gelation behaviors in various organic fluids and comparison of these
behaviors with already available compounds in the analogous solvents. Data obtained from 1 H NMR and
FTIR gel spectra produce relevant mechanistic details and highlight the importance of equilibrium between the
accumulated network and smaller dissolved gelato aggregates. They also demonstrate that there is a network
assembly/dissolution equilibrium depending on the temperature. This work provides useful information in
connection with other literature references to develop new soft materials for their use in various applications.
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
-13.0
-13.5
-14.0
-14.5
-15.0
-15.5
-16.0
-15
a
b
-16
-17
-18
-19
-20
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
(1/T)x1000 K
(1/T)x1000
Figure 10. Plots of InKd versus 1/T for the gelators: (a) 1 in CD3 CN and (b) 4 in d8 -toluene at 25 ◦ C.
3. Experimental
3.1. Chemical reagents
All chemicals were of reagent grade and used without further purification unless specified. They were purchased
from commercial sources (Sigma-Aldrich or Fluka Chemical Company). Flash column chromatography was
performed on silica gel 60 (Merck, 0.040–0.063 mm) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to follow
the course of reactions on silica gel-coated Merck 60 F254 silica plates, visualized using a UV lamp (254 nm) or
I2 vapors. Nitrogen or argon gas was supplied to have an inert atmosphere in dry solvents purified according
to literature methods and stored over molecular sieves. The purity of the products was proved by elemental
analysis and TLC, as well as by IR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectroscopy.
3.2. Instruments and measurements
A Gallenkamp model apparatus with open capillaries was used to determine melting points and they are
uncorrected. A Carlo Erba 1108 model apparatus was used to obtain elemental analyses of C, H, and N within
ꢀ0.3% of the theoretical values. A PerkinElmer 341 model polarimeter was employed to measure specific
rotations. The concentration “c” has units of g/100 mL. A MATTSON model 1000 spectrophotometer was
employed to record infrared spectra. A Bruker AV-400 digital FT-NMR spectrometer was used to record 1 H
NMR (400 MHz) and 13 C NMR (100 MHz) spectra in the solvents mentioned. Chemical shifts are expressed
in parts per million (δ) using residual solvent protons as internal standards.
3.3. General procedure for the synthesis of aminoalcohols
(R)-(-)-2-Amino-1-butanol was commercially available from Fluka and used without further purification. The
literature procedures were followed for the synthesis of L-leucinol, L-isoleucinol, L-phenylalanilol, L-phenylgl-
ycinol, L-valinol, and 2-amino-octanol. They were prepared in one step from the reduction of the corresponding
amino acids.32
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
3.4. Synthesis of dimethyloxalate and dimethyldiglycolate
The synthetic procedures described in the literature33 were applied for the preparation of these esters. To a
mixture of methanol and pyridine in 500 mL with flux under dry nitrogen, a solution of oxalylchloride (38.0
g, 300 mmol) or diglycolic acid dichloride (17.1 g, 100 mmol) in benzene (250 mL) was added drop-wise via a
pressure-controlled dropping funnel for a period of 3 h. The solution was refluxed for 3 h and then kept stirring
for 24 h at room temperature. The precipitated salt was removed by filtration and the solvent was removed
by evaporation in vacuum. The remaining residue was extracted with ice-cold ether (3 × 50 mL), producing a
white solid after evaporation. The products were recrystallized from diethyl ether-petroleum ether (2:1). Mp:
54–54.5 ◦ C, yield: 92% for oxalate ester; mp: 36–37.5 ◦ C, yield: 80% for diglycolate ester.
3.5. General procedure for the synthesis of gelators (1–7)
34
A general procedure described in the literature was followed for the syntheses of gelators.18,
A solution of
aminoalcohol (32 mmol) in MeOH (25 mL) kept cool at 5 ◦ C was slowly added to a solution of dimethyloxalate
(1.4 g, 16 mmol) at 0 ◦ C in an ice bath over a period of 30 min. The mixture was kept stirring at 5 ◦ C for a
further 30 min and then allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 3 h. The precipitate was filtered,
washed with ether, and dried in vacuum.
3.6. N,N′ -Bis[(1R)-1-ethyl-2-hydroxyethyl]ethanediamide (1)
3.68 g (99%), mp 212–213 ◦ C; [α]D25 = +30.3 (C 1.0, DMSO). Anal. Calcd. (%) for C10 H20 N2 O4 : C 51.71, H
8.68, N 12.06. Found C 51.69, H 8.71, N 12.02; IR (KBr) ν : 3365 (O-H), 3280 (N-H), 1665 (C=O, first amide
band), 1530 (C=O, second amide band), 1048 (C-O) cm−1 1 H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ (ppm) = 0.85
;
(t, J = 7.4 Hz, 6H, CH3), 1.42 (m, 2Ha , CH2 CH3) 1.55 (m, 2Hb , CH2 CH3), 3.30 (m, 4H, CH2 OH), 3.71 (m,
2H, CH-N), 4.70 (bs, 2H, OH), 8.2 (d, J = 9.2 Hz, 2H, NH); 13 C NMR (100 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ (ppm) =
11.4 (CH3), 24.4 (CH2 CH3), 54.2 (CH-N), 63.7 (CH2 OH), 161.7 (C=O).
3.7. N,N′ -Bis[(1S)-2-hydroxyethyl-1-(S)-sec-buthyl]ethanediamide34 (4)
White solid, 4.53 g (98%), mp 191–192 ◦ C; [α]D25 = +25.8 (c 1.0, DMSO). Anal. Calcd. (%) for C14 H28 N2 O4 :
C 58.30, H, 9.79, N, 9.71. Found: C 58.29, H 9.80; N 9.70. IR (KBr) ν : 3435 cm−1 (O-H), 3288 cm−1 (N-H),
1651 cm−1 (C=O, first amide band), 1529 cm−1 (C=O, second amide band), 1080 cm−1 (C-O ether band);
1 H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ(ppm) = 0.90 (t, J = 6.5 Hz, 6H, CH2 CH3), 0.95 (d, J = 6.4 Hz, 6H,
CHCH3), 1.38 (m, 2H, CHCH3), 1.40 (dd, J = 8.6, J = 4.4 Hz, 2Ha , CH2 CH3), 1.65 (dd, J = 8.6, J = 4.4
Hz, 2Hb , CH2 CH3 ), 3.50 (m, 4H, CH2 O), 3.81 (m, 2H, CHN), 8.2 (d, J = 9.2 Hz 2H, NH); 13 C NMR (100
MHz, DMSO-d6): δ (ppm) = 11.6 (CH2 CH3), 15.9 (CHCH3), 25.5 (CH2 CH3), 35.4 (CHCH3), 56.0 (CH-N)
61.3 (CH2 OH), 160.3 (C=O).
3.8. N,N′ -Bis [1-Hexyl-2-hydroxyethyl]ethanediamide (7)
3.8.1. Step 1
2-Amino-octanol was prepared by the reduction of 2-amino-octanoic acid as mentioned before.32,35,36 Mp: 46–
47 ◦ C; bp: 124–124.5 ◦ C. Anal. Calcd. (%) for C8 H19 NO: C 66.15, H 13.18, N 9.64. Found C 66.11, H 13.13,
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N 9.61. IR (KBr) ν : 3417 and 3302 cm−1 bond respectively free and hydrogen bonded (O-H) stretching, 3280
cm−1 (N-H), 2922 and 2853 cm−1 C-H stretching, 1081 and 1043 cm−1 (C-O stretching); 1 H NMR (400 MHz,
CDCl3): δ(ppm) = 0.79 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 6H, CH3), 0.99–1.05 (m, 16H, CH2 CH2), 1.56 (m, 4H, C∗ HCH2 ),
2.52 (m, 2H, CH-N) 3.15-3.45 (dd, 4H, CH2 OH), 3.60 (bs, 2H, OH); 13 C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ (ppm)
= 14.04 (CH3), 22.59 (CH2 CH2), 26.07 (CH2 CH2), 29.36 (CH2 CH2), 31.76 (CH2 CH2), 34.35 (CH2 CH2),
52.85 (CH-N), 66.54 (CH2 OH).
3.8.2. Step 2
A solution of 2-amino-1-octanol (1.7 g, 12 mmol) in MeOH (17 mL) was slowly added to a solution of
dimethyloxalate (0.5 g, 5 mmol) over a period of 30 min at 0 ◦ C. The mixture was kept stirring for a further 1
h and the white solid precipitate was collected by filtration and washed with a small portion of the diethyl ether
(3.6 g, 99%) of compound 7. Mp: 152–153 ◦ C. Anal. Calcd. (%) for C18 H36 N2 O4 (344.49 gmol−1): C 62.75,
H 10.53, N 8.13. Found C 62.72, H 10.51, N 8.02. IR (KBr) ν : 3417 and 3302 cm−1 bond respectively free
and hydrogen bonded (O-H) stretching, 3280 cm−1 (N-H), 2922 and 2853 cm−1 C-H stretching, 1640 cm−1
(C=O, first amide band), 1532 cm−1 (C=O, second amide band), 1081 and 1043 cm−1 (C-O) cm−1 1 H NMR
;
(400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ (ppm) = 0.79 (t, J = 6.6 Hz, 3H, CH3), 1.19–1.1.22 (m, 8H, CH2 ), 1.43–1.56 (m,
2H, CH2 CHNH), 3.30 (m, 4H, CH2 OH), 3.74–3.80 (m, 1H, CH-N), 4.47 (bs, 1H, OH), 7.83 (t, J = 9.9 Hz,
1H, NH); 13 C NMR (100 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ (ppm) = 14.4 (CH3), 22.4 (CH2 CH3), 25.9 (CH2 CH2), 29
(CH2 CH2), 30.8 (CH2 CH2), 31.6 (CH2 CH2), 51.8 (CH-N), 63.3 (CH2 OH), 161.2 (C=O).
3.9. N,N′ -Bis[(1S)-1-benzyl-2-hydroxyethyl]diglycolyldiamide (8)
The synthesis of 8 has been reported in the literature.33 Dimethyldiglycolate (0.16 g, 1.2 mmol) was added to
a suspension of L-phenylalanilol (0.71 g, 2.5 mmol) in toluene (25 mL) in a 50-mL flat-bottomed one-necked
flask with a vigorous stirring. The flask was attached to a reflux condenser and a Dean-Stark trap. The
reaction mixture was refluxed with stirring for 2 days and the process was monitored by TLC ether/petroleum
ether (2:1). The solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuum and the remaining residue was washed with
ether. The purification of the crude material was achieved by column chromatography on silica gel (eluent:
ether/petroleum ether 2:1). White crystals were precipitated on standing at 4 ◦ C with slow evaporation. Yield:
72%; mp: 128–130 ◦ C; [α]D34 = –39.2 (c = 0.03, MeOH). Anal. Calcd. for C22 H28 N2 O5 : C, 65.98; H, 7.05;
N, 7.00. Found: C, 65.97; H, 7.09; N, 6.97. IR (KBr): ν : 3413, 3316, 3243, 3070, 3031, 2931, 2873, 1643, 1546,
1110, 1045 cm−1 1 H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ (ppm) = 2.70 (2H, dd, J = 16, J = 8.4 Hz), 2.90 (2H,
;
dd, J = 8.4, J = 7.4 Hz), 3.39–3.46 (4H, m), 3.77–3.89 (4H, m), 3.91–4.06 (2H, m), 4.91 (br s 2H,), 7.15–7.29
(10H, m) 7.91 (2H, d, J = 8.4); 13 C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ (ppm) = 37.01, 52.71, 62.89, 70.84, 126.46,
128.62, 129.54, 139.50, 169.01.
3.10. Gelation test
A typical gelation experiment as mentioned in the literature37 was carried out for the gelation test. A weighed
amount of gelator was mixed with 1 mL of several polar and nonpolar common organic solvents and unusual
solvents such as aromatic ethers and long chain alcohols. In a septum-capped 4-mL glass vial with an internal
diameter of 10 mm it was heated until the solid dissolved, followed by cooling in a constant temperature
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C¸OLAK et al./Turk J Chem
bath at 25 ◦ C. The appearance of a homogeneous substance was considered an indication of gelation with no
gravitational flow upon inversion of the vial.
3.11. Determination of gel-to-sol transition temperatures (T gel
)
Gel-to-sol transition temperatures (Tgel) were determined using the “dropping ball” method reported in the
literature.38 A stainless steel ball (250 mg, 4 mm in diameter) was carefully placed on the top of a gel in a
2-mL glass vial in a heating block. The temperature of the heating block was increased by 1 ◦ C/min. Tgel was
recorded at the temperature when the steel ball reached the bottom of the vial. Errors in all Tgel values are
ꢀ3 ◦ C.
3.12. FTIR measurements
FTIR spectroscopy was used to obtain the information regarding hydrogen bonds in the gel network. The
samples of solid and xerogel were prepared as KBr pellets. Xerogels were prepared by freeze-drying technique
from the gel. A KBr cell (1 mm) was used for the solution samples. CHCl3 (10−3 mol/dm3) was used for the
dilution of the samples.
3.13. The 1 H NMR determination of K gel and ∆H gel
The gel forms of 1 (1.6 mg) and 4 (3.8 mg) were prepared in 0.6 mL of CD3 CN and d8 -toluene, respectively,
including an internal standard, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (1.9 µL).39 1 H NMR spectra of each gel were recorded
at different temperatures. The 1 H NMR intensity ratios of the internal signal (Istd) to that of the gelator
(IHi), the hydrogen attached to the chiral centre (*CH), or amide hydrogen (NH) were monitored and they
were plotted against the temperature. This allowed estimation of the stability of gels since increasing the
temperature increased the release of entities into solution from the gel network and hence the data produced
a curve with a limit of Istd /IHi corresponding to a temperature at which the gel network was disrupted. A
similar observation was also possible by using the signal of the solvent as a standard by plotting Isol /IHi against
the concentration of the gelator. In this case, the data would also produce a curve with a limit of Isol /IHi
corresponding to a concentration at which the network collapses. The following equation (Eq. (2)) proposed by
Duncan describes the equilibrium nature of the gel systems.31
Gn ⇌ Gma ⇌ aGd
(2)
Here, Gn stands for the concentration of gelator assembled in the rigid network, Gma stands for the concen-
tration of larger mobile aggregates, and finally Gd stands for the concentration of dissolved gelator molecules.
Gma and Gd are observable by 1 H NMR. Their concentrations (Gma and Gd) were obtained from the rel-
ative intensity of the NMR signal (NH and *CH) of the gelator compared with that of the internal standard
as mentioned above.39 The cumulative dissolution equilibrium may be defined as Kd = [Gd ] where [Gd ] =
[Gma ] + [Gd ]. The Kd values are calculated at different temperatures.31 Plotting lnKd against 1/T gives the
cumulative dissolution enthalpy (∆Hd) and entropy (∆Sd) as described in Eq. (3).
ln Kd = (∆Hd/R)1/T + ∆Sd/R.
(3)
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Acknowledgments
¨
˙
We would like to express our gratitude to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)
for financially support (Project No. 113Z142), and also the Dicle University Research Council (13-FF-72 and
13-FF-73).
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