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inorganic materials. By using the self-assembled LMW gels as organic tem-
plates, well-defined functional inorganic nanomaterials were obtained by
simple sol-gel chemistry. The self-assembled fibrillar networks of LMW gels
function as templates not only for the tubular shapes, but also for helices,
intertwined double helices, spirals, paper roll-like structures and others. In
particular, helical structures have been shown to induce chirality in the cor-
responding transcribed inorganic material. If we consider the different
structure scaffolds discussed in this chapter that have been employed as
templates for transcription, it is noteworthy that they arise from a limited
number of gelating scaffolds that are cholesterol-, sugar-, or cyclohexane-
based. However, in spite of this limitation in the diversity of gelating scaffolds
that has been used to prepare most of the transcribed materials thus far, a
large diversity of inorganic shapes has been found. Clearly, use of other types
of gelators will further broaden the synthesis of a variety of other interesting
materials. On the other hand, many other inorganic compounds are now also
being employed for transcription processes, thus widening the scope of
applications of the resultant materials. Furthermore, the ability to precisely
control tubular dimensions and to introduce different functional groups to the
inner and outer surfaces of the silica nanotubes using the template synthesis
method, makes these constructs promising candidates for biomedicinal and
biotechnological applications. After successfully employing LMW gels for the
transcription of inorganic materials, this knowledge was subsequently
extended to prepare hybrid materials. Hybrid materials comprising metal
nanoparticles are synthesised and/or stabilised/immobilised in the gel matrix
by incorporating appropriate functionalities in the gelator's structure. Add-
itionally, gel-stabilised nanoparticles like Au, Ag and CNTs synergistically
helped in improving the physicochemical properties (such as mechanical
strength, conductivity etc.) of the hybrid gels. The reversible gel-sol transition
property of supramolecular gels has been utilised to make multiresponsive
materials.
In regards to the synthesis of the small-molecule gelators and the subsequent
formation of gel-nanocomposites, the protocols should be simple enough to be
viable for their large-scale production. However, as mentioned above, the
growing contributions from researchers working in multiple disciplines will
surely aid the nanocomposite to overcome these challenges and form a truly
advanced material for practical applications. Most importantly, the exponen-
tially growing field of gel-nanocomposites has the potential of reaching out to
widely diverse applications.
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Acknowledgements
P.K.D. is thankful to the Department of Science and Technology, India for
financial assistance to carry out research work on gel-nanocomposites. T.K.
acknowledges the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India for his
Research Fellowships.
