Abstract
Gels were prepared by cooling dilute solutions of 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12-HOA), a fatty acid surfactant, in a variety of organic solvents. Both the racemic (dl) and chiral (d) forms of 12-HOA were used. Small angle neutron scattering, small angle X-ray scattering, and wide-angle X-ray scattering investigations demonstrated basic similarities between the chiral and the racemic gels. The gels are three-dimensional networks of fibers of rectangular cross-sectional shape with varying aspect ratio and thickness. The fiber network is strengthened by junction points where the molecules pack in a monoclinic crystalline form. “Head to head” contacts between the carboxylic acid groups and the formation of multiple hydrogen sequences are ubiquitous in these gels.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3406-3418 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Langmuir |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 1994 |