Pyridine‐Bridged Benzimidazolium Salts: Synthesis, Aggregation, and Application as Phase‐Transfer Catalysts

Simply structured benzimidazolium salts efficiently gelate a variety of polar organic solvents. π-Stacking, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions are responsible for the self-assembly process. A packing model is deduced from the single crystal structure of gelator 1. Fiber aggregates of benzimidazolium salts in acetonitrile are efficient phase-transfer catalysts (PTCs) for N-alkylation.