Premium
Self‐Foaming Metal‐Organic Gels Based on Phytic Acid and Their Mechanical, Moldable, and Load‐Bearing Properties.
Author(s) -
Xiao Yali,
Gong Xi,
Zhang Jianyong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202100476
Subject(s) - sol gel , materials science , phytic acid , metal , morphology (biology) , chemical engineering , phase (matter) , metal ions in aqueous solution , load bearing , polymer chemistry , chemistry , composite material , nanotechnology , metallurgy , organic chemistry , biochemistry , biology , engineering , genetics
A catalogue of metal‐organic gels are synthesized from phytic acid (PA) and a diversity of metal ions (Fe 3+ , Cr 3+ , Al 3+ , Ce 3+ , Y 3+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Mg 2+ ) upon heating at 80 °C. PA−M gels have various morphologies, including irregular granular (PA−Fe, PA−Al, PA−Ce, PA−Cr, PA−Ni, PA−Co), spongy (PA−Y), and hollow tremella‐like (PA−Cu) morphologies. Interestingly for PA−Fe‐1 : 4 (PA:Fe 3+ =1 : 4) a large amount of gas is generated during the gelation process leading to a self‐foaming gel. The PA−Fe‐1 : 4 self‐foaming gel shows reversible gel‐sol phase transition. The gel is unusually weakened and transformed into a sol at room temperature, and the sol is reversed to gelation when heated again at 80 °C. PA−Fe‐1 : 4 gel also shows shapeable and load‐bearing properties, and it can bear up to 200 times of its weight, depending on the gas amount fixed in the foam gel and the aging time. This work provides a catalogue of self‐foaming supramolecular gels with tunable properties based on naturally abundant resources.