Over the past decade, research on molecular gels has expanded and progressed rapidly. This timely book presents the latest developments and understanding of the topic, covering the different classes of gels (ionogels, metallogels, hydrogels and organogels) from their molecular level interactions and formation to their properties as materials and applications.
The book starts with a general introduction to molecular gels including their definition and a comparison of the different types. Chapters then examine the physical chemistry of molecular gels, including the most recent theories, experimental techniques and computational approaches. Final chapters on the applications of molecular gels illustrate, with modern case studies, the principles developed in previous chapters.
Written by leading researchers, this is an indispensable resource on the different types of gels for postgraduate students and researchers across supramolecular chemistry, materials science, polymer chemistry, soft matter and chemical engineering.
Richard G. Weiss received an ScB degree from Brown University and MS and PhD degrees from the University of Connecticut under the mentorship of Eugene I. Snyder. He was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow with George S. Hammond at California Institute of Technology for 2 years and a Visiting Assistant Professor and National Academy of Sciences Overseas Fellow at the Instituto de Quimica of the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil for 3 years. He has been a member of the faculty of Georgetown University since 1974 and currently holds the rank of Professor. He is also a member of the Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology at Georgetown. He has been a visiting professor at universities and institutes in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, and Spain. He is a Fellow of IUPAC and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and received a doctorate honoris causa from Université de Bordeaux 1. He was a senior editor of the ACS journal Langmuir for 10 years, is currently a member of the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society and Gels, and is an Associate Editor for Polimeros and a member of the Scientific Committee of Substantia. He has authored or coauthored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and more than 25 book chapters. His research interests include investigations of photochemical, photophysical and thermal reactions of molecules in anisotropic environments, and the development and application of ionic liquids, ionic liquid crystals, and new molecular and polymer gels for various purposes, including chemical spill remediation and the conservation of objects of cultural heritage.
