title: Synthesis of Hydrophobic Carbohydrate Polymers and Their Formation of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Phases.
abstract: The first synthesis of enantiopure glucose octyl ether polyamido-saccharides (GOE-PAS) with a defined molecular weight and narrow dispersity is reported using a controlled anionic ring-opening polymerization of a glucose-derived β-lactam sugar monomer possessing octyl ether chains. This new polymer structure is characterized by NMR, infrared (IR), optical rotation, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). At room temperature, the polymers form lamellar (Lam) phases. Upon heating to mild temperatures (ca. 60 °C), the shortest polymer shows a direct transition to the isotropic (Iso) liquid state, while the longer polymers give rise to a hexagonal columnar (Colh) phase before becoming isotropic at higher temperatures (ca. 120 °C).
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghobril
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR CNRS UdS 7504 , 23 rue du Loess, BP 43, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Dane
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Grinstaff