A modular supramolecular approach towards hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline assemblies based on naturally occurring polyphenols is reported. The combination of experimental observations, crystallographic studies and semi-empirical analyses of the assemblies provides insight into the structure–property relationships of these materials. Here a direct correlation of the number of donor OH-groups as well as their orientation with the mesomorphic behavior is reported. We discovered that the number and orientation of the OH-groups have a stronger influence on the mesomorphic behavior of the supramolecular assemblies than the connectivity (e.g. stilbenoid or chalconoid) of the hydrogen bond donors. Furthermore, the photo-switching behavior of selected complexes containing azopyridine ligands was investigated. This study will help future scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and structure–property relationships of supramolecular assemblies with mesomorphic behavior, which is still one of the major challenges in current science.

中文翻译：

---

天然存在的多酚作为超分子液晶的组成部分-取代模式主导同构

报道了基于天然存在的多酚的氢键合液晶组件的模块化超分子方法。通过对组件的实验观察，晶体学研究和半实证分析相结合，可以深入了解这些材料的结构与属性之间的关系。这里报道了供体OH-基团数目及其取向与介晶行为的直接相关性。我们发现，OH基团的数量和方向对超分子组装体的同构行为的影响要比连通性（例如，氢键供体）。此外，研究了含有偶氮吡啶配体的选定配合物的光开关行为。这项研究将帮助未来的科学家加深对超分子组装体与介晶行为的潜在机制和结构-性质关系的了解，这仍然是当前科学中的主要挑战之一。