Use of fluorescence spectroscopy to study polymeric materials with porous structure based on imprinting by self-assembled fibrillar networks

Different polymeric materials have been prepared from the oroartopels formed by a polymerizable methacrylic mixture (methyl i-nethacrylate/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1: 1, w/w) and the macrocyclic pseudopeptide 1. The use of (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)diphenylphosphine oxide as it very efficient radical initiator allows polymeric materials in which the structure of the fibrils formed by self-assembly of the organogelator 1 is truly preserved to be obtained. Removal of the pseudopeptidic molecule provides materials with a porous structure reflecting that of the original self-assembled fibrils. The use of fluorescent probes Such as rhodamine B and pyrene greatly facilitate the Study of the porous structures formed and, accordingly, that of the morphology of the original fibrils. Those studies reveal the presence of a permanent porosity and the organization of the Substructures as a porous network. This confirms the existence of a nucleation and growth mechanism for the generation of the fibrils, giving rise to the formation of spherulitic structures. Those spherulites are additionally linked by connections of variable size. A series of diffusion experiments allowed establishment of a direct dependence of the inner porosity of the materials oil the amount of self-organizing template used for their preparation.