Anthracene-based cylindrical macrotricyclic polyether (1) containing two dibenzo-30-crown-10 cavities has been proved to be an efficient host for the templated complexation with N,N'-dipropyl-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide in the presence of lithium ions in both solution and solid state. Host 1 could also form 1:1 complex with the bispyridinium salt with two β-hydroxyethyl groups in solution and in the solid state. Moreover, it was also found that the switchable complexation processes between the macrotricyclic host and two different kinds of guests could be chemically controlled by the addition and removal of lithium ions.
The amidourea-based homoduplex was developed as a super organogelator,which could form stable gels in wide-tested solvents.And the reversible gel to solution transition was responsive to heat/cool and acid/base stimuli.The organogels were extensively investigated by 1 H NMR,UV-visible absorption spectroscopy,fluorescence spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction.Based on these data,the gelation mechanism was rationally proposed.The hydrogen-bonded homoduplexes served as the basic assembling units,and further aggregated into three dimensional networks via-stacking and van der Waals interactions,which consequently led to the entangled fibers for the gel formation.
