Liquid Crystals Resulting from Combined Ionic and Hydrogen Bonding Interactions of Nucleobase Derivatives

Abstract

Salts derived from the interaction of guanine or cytosine acid derivatives with hexadecylamine exhibited smectic liquid crystalline character. This behavior was attributed to a two-level organization process, i.e., to the segregation of lipophilic from hydrophilic moieties due to the formation of the n-alkylammonium salts and to the self-dimerization of these salts through molecular recognition. Furthermore, mixing of the complementary salts in 1:1 molar ratio led, at elevated temperatures, to the formation of their heterodimer which also exhibited a smectic liquid crystalline phase.