A coordination-assisted general approach to nickel-based nano metallogels

NiCl2·6H2O, in the presence of a wide range of amines, forms a green gel in protic solvents. UV-Vis studies indicate the initial formation of a square planar species which is transformed into tetrahedral or octahedral components. Theoretical studies indicate the presence of cis-Ni(OMe)2(MeOH)4 as one of the major components of the gel. This study reveals that metallogel formation does not necessarily require synthetically designed ligands with pre-defined coordination sites.