Self-Assembly and Lyomesophases Formed by Long-Chain Alkoxymethyl-Nucleobase Derivatives

Abstract Amphiphilic complementary nucleobase derivatives, containing n-octadecyl-oxymethyl substituents at the N1 position of pyrimidine and N9 of purine, dissolved in chloroform form non-specific lyotropic mesophases, which were analyzed by optical polarizing microscopy. Molecular modeling studies visualize hypothetical horizontal and vertical nucleobase hydrogen-bonding and stacking arrangements, as well as aliphatic long-chain interstrand interaction.