Self-assembly of bistriazole BDT based bolaamphiphiles into SmA phase and helical organogels

Bistriazole benzo[1.2-b:4,3-b']dithiophene (BDT) contained bolaamphiphiles have been synthesized via Sonogashira coupling and click reactions as key steps. For such compounds, the central bent bistriazole BDT core, the flexible methylene spacer led the rodlike core together with the terminal diol groups to twist to be U-shaped polar region. Micro-segregation of U-shaped polar region from the lipophilic chains generated a SmA phase. Furthermore, these compounds can act as super organogelators to gel different kinds of solvents with the lowest critical gelation concentration (CGC) of 0.2 mg/ml. Gel morphologies with scarcely reported nanostructures induding nanofibers, nanobelts, nanodisks, nanotrumpets and nanotubes were firstly observed in bolaamphiphilic self-assembly system. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.