Date of Award

Summer 8-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Program/Concentration

Chemistry

Committee Director

Guijun Wang

Committee Member

Jingdong Mao

Committee Member

Kyle Lambert

Committee Member

Trandon Bender

Committee Member

Yuan Zhang

Abstract

Carbohydrates are among the Earth's most abundant and accessible renewable resources. Their derivatives are essential biomolecules that contribute significantly to the immune system, help prevent pathogenesis, and regulate blood clotting. Low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) are an intriguing class of soft materials that self-assemble into supramolecular structures when placed in suitable solvents. Gelator molecules, when dissolved in solvents, form a fibrous network that traps solvent, resulting in three-dimensional gels. Carbohydrate-based low molecular-weight gelators are particularly advantageous due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. These molecular gels have demonstrated promising applications, such as advanced materials for biomedical research, environmental solutions, and innovative catalysts. Two unique protecting groups were utilized to synthesize the amide derivatives. Some of the derivatives were found to form hydrogels, and they utilized these hydrogels to perform the dye absorption and drug delivery study.

The phenomenon of reversible transformation of a molecule in the presence of light upon exposure to the light is called photochromism. This is a fascinating phenomenon in which a chemical species undergoes a reversible color change between two isomers upon exposure to light. This process, known as photoisomerization, results in distinct absorption spectra for each isomer. This phenomenon leads to observable color changes in various forms. The Examples include azobenzene, spiropyran, and diarylethene, with diarylethene standing out due to its thermal stability in both isomers, high fatigue resistance, and exceptional quantum yield of coloration. A diarylethene-functionalized thiol was found to exhibit interesting turn-on fluorescence. Only showed the fluorescence in closed form. Diarylethene-based molecular gels have garnered significant attention in creating photo-responsive materials. To prepare a photo-responsive gel, two approaches are employed. First, mixing diarylethene with existing gelators for a twocomponent system. Thioacid was used to make a cogel system and utilized as a tuning agent for the gels. The second is modifying diarylethene units to develop low-molecular-weight gelators. The glycoconjugates were synthesized by using the diarylethene unit incorporated into carbohydrates. The gel formed by the glycoconjugates was used for the dye-absorption study. These gels exhibit promising applications in advanced materials, combining functionality and responsiveness for biomedical research, environmental solutions, and innovative catalytic systems.

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DOI

10.25777/6fmt-9t58

ORCID

0009-0007-8137-1370

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