Complex formation through heterogeneous nucleation of thermoreversible gelation

The preparation method and the molecular structure of a composite material consisting of a ternary system polymer/bicoppercomplex/solvent are presented. The properties of each binary system are exposed first. The polymer solutions produce thermoreversible gels while the bicopper organic complex forms a randomly-dispersed, self-assembling structure in organic solvents. It is shown that, in a common solvent, the bicopper complex acts as a nucleation agent for the gelation of the polymer (heterogeneous nucleation). As a result, bicopper complex filaments are encapsulated in a polymer matrix.