Lyotropic Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes

Interesting examples of biomolecules that show lyotropic liquid crystallinity by association of identical molecules are guanosines and folic acids [168-171]. These molecules exhibit columnar mesophases due to the formation of hydrogen-bonded complexes in the presence of water. For example, folic acid 80 sodium salt exhibits cholesteric and hexagonal phases with water due to the formation of a tetramer, which stacks as shown in Fig. 23. The introduction of long alkyl chains into the guanosines leads to the assembly of ribbon-like structures in organic solvents [172]. 

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