Self-assembly of synthetic glycolipid/water systems

• Published in: Advances in colloid and interface science Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 233 - 270
• Main Authors: Hato, Masakatsu, Minamikawa, Hiroyuki, Tamada, Kaoru, Baba, Teruhiko, Tanabe, Yoshikazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.04.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biopolymers - chemistry; Carbohydrate Sequence; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Exact sciences and technology; Fd3m reverse micellar cubic phase; General and physical chemistry; Glycolipid; Glycolipids - chemistry; Glycolipids - metabolism; H II phase; L α phase; Lyotropic liquid crystal; Micelles. Thin films; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligosaccharides; Oligosaccharides - chemistry; Oligosaccharides - metabolism; Phase behavior; Self-assembly; Stereochemistry; Water - chemistry; Self-assembly; L α phase; Oligosaccharides; Stereochemistry; H II phase; Phase behavior; Fd3m reverse micellar cubic phase; Lyotropic liquid crystal; Glycolipid; Self assembly; Two dimensional system; Molecular assembly; Oligosaccharide; Three dimensional system; Review; Aqueous solution; Molecular chain
• ISSN: 0001-8686; 1873-3727
• DOI: 10.1016/S0001-8686(98)00085-2

Glycolipids (amphiphiles that bear oligosaccharides as their hydrophilic headgroups) are of importance both scientifically and technically. This review describes recent advances in our understanding of the molecular correlations in phase behavior in aqueous glycolipids over the past several years. In the first part, we discuss how headgroup stereochemistry affects the phase behavior of glycolipids both in two- and three-dimensional systems. In the second part, we discuss the effects of alkyl chain structure and phase behavior of phytanyl-chained glycolipid/water systems. The physical properties of glycolipid/water systems depend strongly on the inter-headgroup interactions that are related to such factors as stereochemistry (conformation) and size of headgroups, type of sugar residues involved, alkyl chain structure, etc. Thus, apart from the conventional concept like `hydrophilic/lipophilic balance', explicit accounts of headgroup interactions are crucial to control the particular glycolipid/water system concerned. This is in marked contrast to the conventional amphiphile/water systems where the inter-headgroup interactions are in most cases simply repulsive.