A new type of dynamic covalent macrocycle with self-promoted supramolecular gelation behavior is developed. Under oxidative conditions, the dithiol compound containing a diamide alkyl linker with an odd number (7) of carbon chain and an appended crown ether shows a remarkable gelation ability in acetonitrile, without any template molecules. Due to the existence of crown ethers and disulfide bonds, the obtained gel shows a multiple stimuli-responsiveness behavior. The mechanical properties and reversibility of the gel are investigated. Computational modeling suggests that the peripheral chain for diamide hydrogen bonding is responsible for the gelation process.
Keywords: crown compounds; dynamic covalent macrocycles; gels; self-assembly; stimuli-responsiveness.
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