Hybrids of Supramolecular Gels and Covalent Polymers

The thesis comprises of nine chapters. Chapter 1 deals with a succinct introduction of supramolecular chemistry along with the evolution of supramolecular gels as a product of supramolecular chemistry. A brisk review on different classes of gelators, hybrids gels, and conducting gels is included. Chapter 2 describes the experimental procedures taken up to complete the work. Chapter 3 introduces a supramolecular gel based on folic acid and its hybrid with a biopolymer, Chitosan, with improved mechanical and photophysical properties. Chapter 4 depicts the hydrogel of Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-L-tryptophan, and its hybrid with Polyethylene glycol, causing a mechanical reinforcement of the native hydrogel. Also, the thixotropic and drug release properties of the native gels are tuned by polymer incorporation. Chapter 5 depicts the nanoengineering of a supramolecular gel of folic acid by addition of a co-polymer. The hybrids exhibit an enhancement in fluorescence property, mechanical property, and gelation rate compared to that of the native gel. Chapter 6 deals with the preparation and characterization of a hybrid gel of folic acid and polyaniline, with improved mechanical and electronic properties. A hybrid conducting hydrogel of N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl Phenylalanine and polyaniline, and detailed studies on its mechanical and electronic properties, are portrayed in chapter 7. Chapter 8 deciphers the drastic difference in electronic properties of the gels and xerogels derived from co-assembly of a naphthalenetetracarboxilic dianhydride derivative and polyaniline. A summary of the research work along with the future prospects obtained from this thesis are presented in Chapter 9.Research was conducted under the supervision of Prof. A K Nandi, Polymer Science Division under the SCS [School of Chemical Sciences]Research was carried out under CSIR fellowship and DST research gran