Halogen bonds as a design element for supramolecular hydrogels: structure-gelation correlations in glycosylated <i>N</i>-methylhalogenomaleimide amphiphiles.

Yamashita, Kotoyo; Ito, Akitaka; Izumi, Masayuki; Ochi, Rika · Soft Matter · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Herein, we demonstrate how Cl, Br, and I substitutions influence supramolecular hydrogelation in glycosylated <i>N</i>-methylhalogenomaleimide amphiphiles. Bromine provides favourable intermolecular cohesion, yielding efficient and thermally robust hydrogels. Single-crystal X-ray analysis suggests cooperative hydrogen-bonding networks along with short Br⋯Br contacts, indicating that halogen bonds may serve as a tunable design element for functional soft materials.