A new disaccharide polymerizable surfactant 11-(N-p-vinyl benzyl) amidoundecanoyl maltobionamide (LIMA, 6), was synthesized through a five-step procedure. It was found to exhibit a Krafft point of 52 degrees C and a critical micelle concentration of 1.2 x 10(-3) moll(-1) at 55 degrees C (as measured by surface tension and fluorescence techniques). Radical-initiated homo- and copolymerization of LIMA (M) with styrene (S) have been performed at 60 degrees C in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide using 2,2’-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. Kinetics were followed both by H-1 n.m.r. and gas chromatography analyses providing k(p)/k(t)(1/2) value for LIMA homopolymerization and a set of reactivity ratios such as : r(M) = 0.86 +/- 0.1 and r(S) = 1.23 +/- 0.09. Homopoly(LIMA) and copolymers with styrene were characterized as regards to average composition and molecular weight. Comb-like polymers were examined by X-ray analysis in the solid stale; they were found to exhibit lamellar liquid-crystalline structures (smectic) resulting from the superposition of hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers.