Self-assembled supramolecular organogels of perylene diimide derivatives

Supramolecular gels of low molecular weight molecules have created enthusiasm among researchers for their tremendous applications as sensors and in the field of biomedical applications and electro-optics for decades. Among them, gels derived from perylene diimide derivatives in organic non-polar solvents are rarely reported. This review has gathered all information about these organogels and summarized them based on the substituents and the self-assembly mechanism in various organic solvents. It has been found that perylene diimide derivatized molecules undergo hydrogen or non-hydrogen bonding directed pi-pi stacking to build up three-dimensional fibrous network structures, which later proved as gels by various characterization techniques.