Self-sorting multi-scale materials by self-assembling multi-component nanostructured gels in nonwoven fabrics

Two supramolecular gelators self-sort, creating hybrid gels with small (<i>ca.</i> 15 nm) and large (<i>ca.</i> 500 nm) nanofibres that reinforce one another rheologically. When assembled in a nonwoven fabric, self-sorting yields a multi-scale material with fibres on multiple length-scales. The nanofibres control the air permeability of the fabric and the smaller nanofibres enhance the robustness of the larger nanofibre network under forcing airflow conditions.