Preparation, characterization and magnetic behavior of a spin-labelled physical hydrogel containing a chiral cyclic nitroxide radical unit fixed inside the gelator molecule.

An optically active amphiphilic nitroxide radical compound [(S,S,R)-], which contains a paramagnetic (2S,5S)-2,5-dimethyl-2,5-diphenylpyrrolidine-N-oxyl radical group fixed in the inner position together with a hydrophobic long alkyl chain and a hydrophilic (R)-alanine residue in the opposite terminal positions, was found to serve as a low-molecular-weight gelator in H2O to give rise to a spin-labelled physical hydrogel. Characterization of the hydrogel was performed by microscopic (SEM, TEM and AFM) techniques, XRD and SAXS measurements, and IR, UV and CD spectroscopies. The gel-sol transition temperature was determined by EPR spectral line-width (ΔHpp) analysis. Measurement of the temperature dependence of relative paramagnetic susceptibility (χrel) for the hydrogel and sol phases was achieved by means of the double-integration of VT-EPR spectra.