SAXS and ATR-FTIR studies on EBT-TSX mixtures in their sol-gel phases

► Previous study demonstrated that mixtures of TSX with appropriate concentrations of EBT were shown to produce a gel that could be of benefit for medical use. ► In this study, the structural changes of EBT-TSX sol-gel systems were investigated using SAXS and the interactions between TSX and EBT in the sol and gel states were examined using ATR-FTIR. ► The interactions may cause conformational changes to TSX and facilitate the sol-gel transition or formation of a gel. ► The characteristic spectrum of sulfonic acid group of EBT could be used to discriminate between the sol and gel state of the EBT-TSX system.