Behaviour of a solvent trapped in a physical molecular gel
Résumé
Physical gels formed by amphiphilic molecules, namely in this study Methyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-mannopyranoside, can be form either in polar and protic liquid like water or in organic apolar solvent such as toluene. The solvent, that influences the supramolecular organisation of the gelators, plays an important role in the stability and formation of the gel phase. Gelator-solvent interactions govern not only the assembly but also the solvent diffusion in the material. We present here measurements of neutron scattering (Time of Flight and Neutron Spin Echo) characterising this microscopic behaviour. In addition, we show that Transient Grating spectroscopy provides valuable information through the characterisation of the longitudinal acoustic wave propagating in the system. Opposite effects on the speed of sound in the gels are observed for the two solvents investigated, being relevant of the interactions between the gelators and the surrounding liquid.
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