An
ionic multifunctional gelator molecule triethylammonium 5-(3,5-bis((1H-tetrazol-5-yl)carbamoyl)benzamido)tetrazol-1-ide G7 is synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic tools
and mass spectrometry. G7 tends to form a stable organogel
in a mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide/dimethylsulfoxide
(DMF/DMSO) and water. Introduction of different metal perchlorate
salts in a DMSO solution of G7 furnished a series of
metallogels M
1
G7, M
2
G7, M
3
G7, M
4
G7, M
5
G7, M
6
G7, and M
7
G7 [M1 = Fe(III), M2 = Co(II), M3 = Cu(II),
M4 = Zn(II), M5 = Ag(I), M6 = Ni,
and M7 = Fe(II)]. Among them, M
1
G7, M
3
G7, M
4
G7, M
6
G7, and M
7
G7 help individually
in the synthesis and stabilization of bimetallic nanocomposites containing
silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Iron(III)-containing nanocomposites M
1
G7AgNPs have been utilized
in the form of catalysts in the reduction reaction of nitroaromatic
compounds to corresponding amines with a quantitative yield. The organogel G7 has also shown the abilities to absorb different metal
ions from aqueous solutions and allow selective transition of M
1
G7 from the gel state
to the crystalline state. Fe(III) formed dual metallogels with Zn(II),
which can be used for further applications. Furthermore, the nanocomposite M
1
G7AgNP powder, in the
presence of the organogel G7, gets converted into a nanostructured
metallogel, which shows exclusive self-healing properties. This is
the first example where a nanocomposite powder contains the dual-metal
system (Fe(III) and Ag(0)) and shows a reduction catalytic property,
and its nanostructured dual-metallogel form manifests the self-healing
property in a fabricated metallogel.
