n-alkanes gel n-alkanes (and many other organic liquids)

Thermoreversible gelation of relatively short n-alkanes and a variety of ot her organic liquids has been accomplished using low concentrations of long n-alkanes (chain lengths from 24 to 36 carbon atoms) as gelators. The stabi lity of the gels is discussed in terms of gelator concentration, gelation t emperature, and the duration of time gels persist without bulk phase separa tion. Generally, stability increases with the chain length of the gelator. n-Alkanes are structurally the simplest organic gelators possible and their gels with n-alkanes as liquids are the simplest organogels that can be mad e. Their existence demonstrates that London dispersion forces alone can pro vide colloidal networks whose strength is sufficient to immobilize liquids against the pull of gravity.