The Formation of Organogels and Helical Nanofibers from Simple Organic Salts

Simple organic salts based on aniline‐derived cations and D ‐tartrate anions formed organogels and helical nanofibers. The organic salt ( p ‐fluoroanilinium)( D ‐tartrate) was found to generate an organogel despite the absence of a hydrophobic alkyl chain, whereas ( p ‐iodoanilinium)( D ‐tartrate) formed helical nanofibers in braided ropelike structures through a rolling‐up process. The helicity of these nanofibers could be reversed by changing the growth solvent. The driving forces responsible for the formation of the nanofibers were determined to be 1D OH⋅⋅⋅O − hydrogen‐bonding interactions between D ‐tartrate anions and π stacking of anilinium cations, as well as steric hindrance between the hydrogen‐bonded chains.