Archaebacterial Lipids: Surface Pressure–Surface Area Isotherms of 1,1′-(1,32-Dotriacontanediyl)bis[2-[(3RS,7R,11R)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphochoIine]

Abstract 1,1′-(1,32-Dotriacontanediyl)bis[2-[(3RS,1R,11R)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine] (the tetramethylhexadecyl group=phytanyl) was synthesized conveniently by reactions involving etherification of 1,1′-(1,32-dotriacontanediyl)bis(3-benzyl-sn-glycerol) (1) with (7R,11R)-3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecenyl bromide and hydrogenation of the resulting unsaturated ether with p-tolylsulfonylhydrazine; a total yield from 1, 7–10%. Unlike usual monopolar double-chain-amphiphiles, the bipolar lipid bent into a U-form in a water–air interface to produce the Langmuir membrane, exhibiting peculiar surface pressure–surface area isotherms.