Synthesis and Characterization of Maltose-Based Amphiphiles as Supramolecular Hydrogelators

Low molecular mass amphiphilic glycolipids have been prepared by linking a maltose polar head and a hydrophobic linear chain either by amidation or copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The liquid crystalline properties of these amphiphilic materials have been characterized. The influence of the chemical structure of these glycolipids on the gelation properties in water has also been studied. Glycolipids obtained by the click coupling of the two components give rise to stable hydrogels at room temperature. The fibrillar structure of supramolecular hydrogels obtained by the self-assembly of these gelators have been characterized by electron microscopy. Fibers showed some torsion, which could be related with a chiral supramolecular arrangement of amphiphiles, as confirmed by circular dichroism (CD). The sol–gel transition temperature was also determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and NMR.