Phase-Selective Gelators Based on p-Alkoxybenzoyl for Oil Spill Recovery and Dye Removal

Abstract

Oil spills result in tremendous damage to the environment and ecosystem. In this study, several p-alkoxybenzoyl-based gelators (1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3) synthesized from commercially available materials were designed for recovering oil from an oil–water mixture. Gels with remarkable gelation ability in various oils were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to study the driving forces of self-assembly. Notably, these gelators could achieve the goal of recycling oil from the oil–water mixture at room temperature. In addition, gelator 2b could be used to remove toxic dyes from aqueous solutions with high efficiency. Therefore, these compounds were considered promising materials for oil spill recovery and dye removal due to their practicality and high efficiency.

Keywords

Organogelator / p-Alkoxybenzoyl / Phase selectivity / Oil spills recovery / Dye removal

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