An Attempt to Relate Oleogel Properties to Wax Ester Chemical Structures.

Wax esters are considered to have a dominant contribution in the gelling properties of wax-based oleogels. To understand their gelling behavior, oleogels of seven different wax esters (total carbon number from 30 to 46; c = 10% [/]) in medium-chain triglycerides oil were characterized. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that wax esters crystallize in rhombic platelets with a thickness of 80 to 115 monomolecular layers.