HYPOTHESIS: Development of highly efficient low-molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) for safe energy storage materials is of great demand. Energy storage materials as fuel gels are often achieved by construction of hybrid organic frameworks capable of multiple noncovalent interactions in self-assembly, which allow tuning required properties at the molecular level by altering individual building blocks of the LMWG. However, LMWGs have limited rechargeable capability due to their chemical instability. EXPERIMENTS: We designed, synthesized and characterized a novel, bio-inspired chiral gemini amphiphile derivative 1 containing N-hexadecyl aliphatic tails from quaternized nicotinamide-based segment and bromide anion showing supergelation ability in water, alcohols, aprotic polar and aromatic solvents, with critical gel concentrations as low as 0.1 and 0.035 wt% in isopropanol and water, respectively. FINDINGS: Nanostructural architecture of the network depended on the solvent used and showed variations in size and shape of 1D nanofibers. Supergelation is attributed to a unique asymmetric NH⋯OC, H⋯Br- hydrogen bonding pattern between H-2 hydrogens from nicotinamide-based segment, amide functional groups from chiral trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamide-based segment and bromide ions, supporting the intermolecular amide-amide interactions appearing across one strand of the self-assembly. Gels formed from 1 exhibit high stiffness, self-healing, moldable and colorable properties. In addition, isopropanol gels of 1 are attractive as reusable, shape-persistent non-toxic fuels maintaining the chemical structure with gelation efficiency for at least five consecutive burning cycles.

Center for Advanced Materials Qatar University PObox 2713 Doha Qatar

Centre of Polymer Systems University Institute Tomas Bata University in Zlin Trida T Bati 5678 CZ 76001 Zlin Czech Republic

Department of Chemical Theory of Drugs Faculty of Pharmacy Comenius University Kalinčiakova 8 SK 83104 Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Chemistry Slovak Academy of Sciences Dúbravska cesta 9 SK 84538 Bratislava Slovakia

Laboratory for Advanced Materials Comenius University Science Park Ilkovičova 8 SK 84215 Bratislava Slovakia; Department of Inorganic Chemistry Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University Ilkovičova 6 SK 84215 Bratislava Slovakia

Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Faculty of Pharmacy Comenius University in Bratislava Odbojárov 10 SK 83232 Bratislava Slovakia

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