Studies of the mesomorphic behavior of bivalent carbohydrate amphiphiles

A homologous series of bivalent glycolipids constituted of 1,3-bis-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-O-alkyl glycerol, bearing two sugar head groups and one alkyl chain on a glycerol backbone, was synthesized. The mesomorphic behaviour was investigated with the aid of polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction methods. The homologous members exhibit a smectic A phase, consistently with a partial bilayer structure. From experimental d-spacing and computationally derived length of the molecules, it is suggested that a partial interdigitation of the molecules is present in the bilayer structure.