Six S,S-dialkyl acetals 2a-f of inosose (1), tripodal in structure, have been synthesized, characterized and investigated by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.). The four S,S-acetals 2c-f with sufficiently long alkyl chains are thermotropic liquid crystalline; 2 e and 2 f are even dithermomesomorphic. Each of these four inosose derivatives 2c-f exhibits monotropically a most likely cubic mesophase (MI); in addition 2e and 2f show enantiotropically a hexagonal mesophase (Hx) with a non-covalent, supramolecular H-bridge architecture. Whereas the nature of the optically isotropic mesophase MI needs further clarification the stable high temperature mesophase Hx of 2 e and 2 f has been established by a miscibility test using a sugar S,S-dialkyl acetal also tripodal in structure and with a Hx phase proved by X-ray diffraction, but in contrast to 2 with an acyclic hydrophilic part. Similarities of structural features between the Hx-phases of 2e and 2f as well as of other thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal systems are discussed briefly.
Elucidating the structure of liquid crystal phases using resonant X-ray scattering