Metallogels of indium(iii) with bile salts: soft materials for nanostructured In2S3 synthesis

Abstract

This work describes sonication mediated facile metallo-hydrogel formation from biodetergents sodium cholate and deoxycholate in the presence of indium(III). The resulting thermo-irreversible gels behaved as viscoelastic soft solids as observed by rheological measurements. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy analysis revealed the transition from spherical aggregates before gelation to typical entangled three-dimensional fibrous networks in gels. The In-Ch hydrogel was further used to prepare nanostructured In₂S₃ in which the cholate units acted as surfactants to limit the growth of the nanoflakes.