Richard G. Weiss - Böcker

"Molecular Gels: Materials with Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks" is a comprehensive treatise on gelators, especially low molecular-mass gelators and the properties of their gels. The structures and modes of formation of the self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs) that immobilize the liquid components of the gels are discussed experimentally and theoretically. The spectroscopic, rheological, and structural features of the different classes of low molecular-mass gelators are also presented. Many examples of the application of the principal analytical techniques for investigation of molecular gels (including SANS, SAXS, WAXS, UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and CD spectroscopies, scanning electron, transmission electron and optical microscopies, and molecular modeling) are presented didactically and in-depth, as are several of the theories of the stages of aggregation of individual low molecular-mass gelator molecules leading to SAFINs. Several actual and potential applications of molecular gels in disparate fields (from silicate replication of nanostructures to art conservation) are described. Special emphasis is placed on perspectives for future developments.This book is an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners either already researching self-assembly and soft matter or new to the area. Those who will find the book useful include chemists, engineers, spectroscopists, physicists, biologists, theoreticians, and materials scientists.

Over the past decade, research on molecular gels has expanded and progressed rapidly. This timely book presents the latest developments and understanding of the topic, covering the different classes of gels (ionogels, metallogels, hydrogels and organogels) from their molecular level interactions and formation to their properties as materials and applications.The book starts with a general introduction to molecular gels including their definition and a comparison of the different types. Chapters then examine the physical chemistry of molecular gels, including the most recent theories, experimental techniques and computational approaches. Final chapters on the applications of molecular gels illustrate, with modern case studies, the principles developed in previous chapters. Written by leading researchers, this is an indispensable resource on the different types of gels for postgraduate students and researchers across supramolecular chemistry, materials science, polymer chemistry, soft matter and chemical engineering.