Liquid crystal glycolipids - Carbohydrate Chemistry: Chemical and Biological Approaches - page 329

Table 3 Transition temperatures ( 1 C) as a function of
chain length (n) for the a - D -glucopyranosyl-diacylglycerols.

n Cryst Col Iso Liq

12 42 121.0

13 59 129.0

14 68 130.0

15 69 139.5

16 77 142.5

17 80 143.5

18 81 144.5

19 82 145.5

20 90 141.5

Fig. 18 Liquid crystalline properties of a variety of synthetic diether-type glycolipids.

mimics that bear one furanosyl head group, 27,28 and two (usually bran-
ched) aliphatic chains. Figure 18 (a to g), possessing: (i) polar head
groups selected from the following; b- D -galactofuranose, b- D -glucofur-
anose, and a- D -mannofuranose; (ii) optically pure (R or S) or racemic
glycerol isomers; (iii) phytanyl, dihydrocitronellyl and/or straight alkyl
chains, the phytanyl group being used to mimic the isoprenic chains
found in the lipids of archaeal membranes.