Functional molecular gels

The intention of the book, Functional Molecular Gels, is to provide a global view of the current state-of-theart in the field of Molecular Gels. Molecular gels are physical gels within which low molecular weight (LMW) compounds self-assemble and are held together by non-covalent bonds such as van der Waals interactions, π-interactions, dipolar interactions, hydrogen bonding, coulomb interactions and solvophobic effects. To create a molecular gel, the self-assembly process must be inhibited in at least one direction so that growth extends faster in one or two directions to build a network structure. This network provides the scaffold that imparts elastic properties to create a gel.