Carbohydrate liquid crystals: structure–property relationship of thermotropic and lyotropic glycolipids

Glycolipids have important biological functions in nature: as membrane formation, mediators of cell–cell-recognitions and various specialized functions. Thousands of very complex glycoconjugates have been described by the biochemistry research, whereas the liquid crystal research in the previous decades only recognizes the structure/property relationships of more simple alkylated sugars, e.g. most of the natural materials have never been tested for their mesomorphous properties and the relation between the physical state of matter and the biological functions. This is the challenge of the present research. The bicontinuous cubic phase seems to have a high importance for cell fusion, transportation processes and drug delivery. Glycolipids also have a high potential to form chiral nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes, fibers, gels, bicontinuous and discontinuous cubic phases, and lyotropic and thermotropic cholesteric phases, etc.