Synthesis and characterization of coumarin containing fluorescent sugar based gelators

Carbohydrate based self-assembling systems containing coumarin functional groups are interesting class of materials. The unique fluorescence properties can be useful for many practical applications especially as biological probes. Coumarin containing low molecular weight gelators are especially interesting compounds with great potentials for new advanced molecular systems with multiple functions. We have synthesized and characterized a series of eleven coumarin based glucose and glucosamine derivatives. The structures of these compounds are based on the existing good performing supramolecular gelators through rational designs. These include three coumarin derivatives linked to anomeric positons of per-acetylated D-glucose and D-glucosamine via 1,2,3-triazole linkage , and eight4,6-benzylidene acetal protected D-glucosamine derivatives with various coumarin moieties attached to the C-2 positions through several different linkers. The gelation properties and fluorescence properties of these novel coumarin derivatives are studied and several self-assembling coumarin derivatives are also molecular gelators, which may have wide range of applications.