Supramolecular gels from lipopeptide gelators: template improvement and strategies for the in-situ preparation of inorganic nanomaterials and for the dispersion of carbon nanomaterials

Abstract

Lipopeptide amphiphiles are an important class of biobased and biomimetic surfactants that are easily prepared from the cheapest organic reagents, such as natural fatty and amino acids, and in many cases, the resulting compounds are able to harden not only common organic solvents but also waxes, water and ionic liquids. Well-tailored, these gelators can be selective for one variety of liquid, which leads to the formation of a robust gel that is able to incorporate various different elements. In this review, we attempted to provide our opinion regarding the molecular design of the lipopeptide gelator candidates. In addition, we summarized each type of element that is necessary for creating potent supramolecular gel templates that are useful for inorganic nano- and micro-material preparation. This review is not only limited to recent papers found in the literature; a portion of our unpublished results are also provided as a supplement to illustrate our point of view regarding this subject.

Keywords: Carbon nanocomposite materials; DDS; Inorganic nano and micromaterial templating; Lipopeptide amphiphilic gelators; Molecular rational design.