Understanding the gelation of liquids by low molecular weight solutes at low concentrations gives an insight into many molecular recognition phenomena and also offers a simple route to modifying the physical properties of the liquid. Bis-(α,β-dihydroxy ester)s are shown here to gel thermoreversibly a wide range of solvents, raising interesting questions as to the mechanism of gelation. At gelat...

Curdlan is a linear polysaccharide considered a dietary fiber and with gelation properties. This study evaluated the structure, morphology and the physicochemical and technological properties of curdlan produced by Agrobacterium sp. IFO 13140 recovered by pre-gelation and precipitation methods. Commercial curdlan submitted or otherwise to the pre-gelation process was also evaluated. The data ob...

Polymerization and gelation of deoxyhemoglobin S makes red blood cells (RBCs) rigid and is the immediate basis of pathogenesis in sickle cell disease. Hence, characterization of hemoglobin S viscosity and its time-dependent development as RBCs pass through the microvasculature is important in understanding pathogenesis. Because RBCs and the intraerythrocytic milieu in vivo are subject to shear,...

Incorporation of phosphate groups into a material may be of particular interest as they act as templates for hydroxyapatite growth through complexation with Ca(2+) and thus improve the osteoconduction property. The phosphate groups can be incorporated into chitosan through ionotropic gelation with tripolyphosphate (TPP). Interestingly, the ion pairs formed through negatively charged phosphate g...

Crowded solutions of multiarm star polymers, representing model colloidal spheres with ultrasoft repulsive interactions, undergo a reversible gelation transition upon heating in solvents of intermediate quality (between good and Theta). This unusual phenomenon is due to the kinetic arrest of the swollen interpenetrating spheres at high temperatures, forming clusters, in analogy to the colloidal...

The phase behavior of colloids that interact via competing interactions - short-range attraction and long-range repulsion - is studied by computer simulation. In particular, for a fixed strength and range of repulsion, the effect of the strength of an attractive interaction (ε) on the phase behavior is investigated at various colloid densities (ρ). A thermodynamically stable equilibrium colloid...

A new class of fluorescent organogelators, pyrene-containing poly(arylene ether sulfone)s, showed two fluorescence switching modes in different gelation solvents. The THF gel exhibited excimer emission due to dimerization of the pyrene groups. In contrast, excimer emission was quenched after gelation in MC because of stacking among the pyrene groups.

Instantaneous gelation in the addition model with superlinear rate coe cients is investigated. The conjectured post-gelation solution is shown to arise naturally as the limit of solutions to some nite approximations as the number of equations grows to in nity. Non-existence of continuous solutions to the addition model is also established in that case.

A new gelator was discovered by identifying molecular scaffolds exhibiting 1D intermolecular interactions in the solid-state and synthesizing derivatives. Gelation can be triggered by adding Hg(OAc)(2) to a precursor molecule. The in situ gelation is selective for Hg(2+) over other metals.

A novel chiral coordination polymeric gel based on an amino acid derived symmetrical ligand, specific base, and Zn(2+) has been described. Zn(2+) induced conformational reorganization in the ligand leads to gelation via J-aggregated helical fibres. The vital role played by π-π stacking in gelation has been monitored by fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy.