Sensing and formation of a stable gel in the presence of picric acid by a low-molecular-weight-gelator

Abstract

In this work, a set of amide-based compounds, L1-L3, have been studied. These compounds are decorated with various H-bonding functional groups while the presence of aromatic rings not only promote π‒π stacking but also made these molecules electron-rich. All three compounds were utilized for the sensing of electron-deficient nitro-explosives. These compounds were found to be highly selective for the nanomolar sensing of picric acid (PA). Out of three compounds, L3 acted as a low-molecular-weight-gelator and formed a more stable and stronger gel in the presence of PA. The resultant PA@L3−gel was studied by the SEM, powder XRD and rheological techniques while further supported by the molecular docking studies. These results illustrate that doping of L3 with PA not only enhances several noteworthy interaction avenues but also the stability of the resultant PA@L3−gel when compared to L3−gel.