Amphiphilic Schiff Base Organogels: Metal‐Ion‐Mediated Chiral Twists and Chiral Recognition

Abstract New amphiphilic gelators that contained both Schiff base and L ‐glutamide moieties, abbreviated as o ‐SLG and p ‐SLG, were synthesized and their self‐assembly in various organic solvents in the absence and presence of metal ions was investigated. Gelation test revealed that o ‐SLG formed a thermotropic gel in many organic solvents, whilst p‐ SLG did not. When metal ions, such as Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ni 2+ , were added, different behaviors were observed. The addition of Cu 2+ induced p‐ SLG to from an organogel. In the case of o‐ SLG, the addition of Cu 2+ and Mg 2+ ions maintained the gelating ability of the compound, whilst Zn 2+ and Ni 2+ ions destroyed the gel. In addition, the introduction of Cu 2+ ions caused the nanofiber gel to perform a chiral twist, whilst the Mg 2+ ions enhanced the fluorescence of the gel. More interestingly, the Mg 2+ ‐ion‐mediated organogel showed differences in the fluorescence quenching by D ‐ and L ‐tartaric acid, thus showing a chiral recognition ability.