Lyotropic and thermotropic behavior of alkylglucosides and related compounds

The phase diagram of the binary system composed of octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and water was investigated and the phase boundaries were determined. Polarising optical microscopy was used to define the different phases, proton and deuterium NMR experiments to define the region of existence of the different phases and to obtain information on axiality and head group solvation. DSC experiments were performed to determine the thermal transitions from solid to thermotropic liquid crystals for octyl-beta-D-gluco-pyranoside, the related alkylglucosides or maltosides, and to gain information on the role played by sugar units in the thermodynamics of such phase transitions.