Using contrast matching to understand multicomponent gels

Gels can be formed when a molecule self-assembles into fibres that entangle to immobilise the solvent. These tgels are really useful for applications from cell culturing to optoelectronics. The range of properties can be extended using multicomponent systems. In our systems, two different molecules self-assemble independently into different fibres. Characterising and understanding this is difficult - both fibres scatter in SANS for example and so differentiating the different networks is extremely challenging. To get around this, here we will use hydrogenated and deuterated gelators. In a mixture of a hydrogenated and a deuterated molecule, only the fibres formed from the hydrogenated molecule will scatter and so we will be able to see whether the fibres and networks formed in single and multicomponent systems are the same. This will greatly add to our undertsanding of these systems.