THE SELF-ASSEMBLY OF A LIPOPHILIC DEOXYGUANOSINE DERIVATIVE AND THE FORMATION OF A LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE PHASE IN HYDROCARBON SOLVENTS

The lipophilic 3',5'-di-O-decanoyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (1) in CHCl3 unde rgoes extensive self-assembly, mediated by II-bonding between the guan ine bases, to give ribbon-like aggregates. X-Ray investigation of the platelets obtained from CHCl3 reveals a disordered fibre-like structur e consisting of stacks of the ribbon-like aggregates. The aggregates a re completely different from the columnar structures, based on G-quart ets, which are the building blocks of the mesophases formed by deoxygu anosine oligonucleotides in H2O. In pure hydrocarbons or in CHCl3/hydr ocarbons, 1 forms a lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase.