Supramolecular gels: Functions and uses

In recent years there has been immense interest in studying gels derived from low molecular mass gelators (supramolecular, or simply molecular gels). The motivation for this is not only to understand the fundamental aggregate structures in the gels at different length scales, but also to explore their potential for futuristic technological applications. Gels have been made sensitive to external stimuli like light and chemical entities by incorporating a spectroscopically active or a receptor unit as part of the gelator molecule. This makes them suitable for applications such as sensing and actuating. The diversity of gel structural architectures has allowed them to be utilized as templates to prepare novel…