Gels as a soft matter route to conducting nanostructured organic and composite materials

The preparation of supramolecular nanowires capable of conducting electricity can be achieved via the gel state. These wires, which range in width from a few to several tens of nanometres, are connected in a network—characteristic of organogels—which can provide bulk conducting materials thanks to close contacts between the fibres. They are easy to process and do not rely on the crystalline state for their properties, and importantly do not depend on the surface to which they are applied. The gel state can also be used as a route for the preparation of nanocomposite materials, whose structure can be controlled by modifying the compatibility between the components. In addition, they contain nanowires which, provided their location could be controlled, may prove of utility in nanoscale devices.