Calamitic Mesomorphism of Metal Complexes of [M(salen)] Type Carrying Six Long Alkyl Chains

Abstract

Nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of [M(salen)] type, stubstituted with (3,4,5-trihexadecenoxybenzoyl)oxy groups at both ends, have been newly prepared and their mesomorphic behaviors characterized. It proved that they have desirably low melting and clearing temperatures, and the mesophase is commonly of smectic type. This is in contrast to the case of discogenic oxovanadium(IV) complex analogues,¹ which indicates that the kind of central metal atom in [M(salen)] mesogens is a primarily important factor in determining the mesophase type.