In this paper, the development of intermolecular self-assembled discotic liquid crystals were reviewed in past decade. The properties of discotic liquid crystals of self-assembled molecules and supramoleculars by intermolecular hydrogen or metal coordination bond and photoelectric properties and their application in organic potential devices of liquid crystal materials composed of inorganic nanoparticles were mainly discussed. Finally, the advantages of different intermolecular self-assembled discotic liquid crystals were summarized. Comprehensive literature reported that the introduction of intermolecular hydrogen bonds or coordination bonds could better realize the application of discotic liquid crystals in specific functional materials. And self-assembled discotic liquid crystals could also form complexes with nanoparticles to obtain a specific function nanocomposites.