Simple chiral urea gelators, (R)- and (S)-2-heptylurea: Their gelling ability enhanced by chirality

► We synthesize pure enantiomeric ureas, (R)- and (S)-2-heptylureas. ► We examine gelling behaviors of the chiral ureas in various solvents. ► The gelling ability of the pure compounds are superior to that of the mixture. ► The superiority is due to the 1D fibrous morphology of the pure enantiomers. ► Instead, the racemic mixture crystallizes into 2D shapes