Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.40, No.25, 6390-6396, 2001
Crossover phase behavior (discotic to calamitic) in liquid-crystalline copper complexes. Dependence on the length and position of alkoxy chains in new polycatenar bis[5-(dialkoxybenzylidine)aminotropololonato]copper(II) complexes
New polycatenar metallornesogens have been synthesized containing a tropolone core joined to benzylidine terminal rings. Variation of the position, number, and nature of alkoxy substituents on the terminal rings allows for the control of the phase behavior of the compounds. In particular, for copper complexes with 3,4-dialkoxy substitution, a change from calamitic to discotic (columnar) behavior is seen as the chain lengths are increased.