Liquid-Crystalline Polymesomorphism in Copper(ll) Complexes of β-Diketones

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Abstract
The preparation of a number of copper(II) complexes of β-diketones is described. Following the unexpected discovery of a smectic A phase in bis-[l-(4′-decylbiphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4′-fluorobiphenyi-4-yl)propane-l,3-dionato]copper(II), two series of novel copper(II) complexes were prepared; one series is based on l-biphenyl-3-phenylpropane-l,3-dione and the other on l,3-di-(biphenyl)propane-l,3-dione and each incorporates polar terminal substituents in the lateral benzene and biphenyl units respectively. Many of the complexes containing polar substituents show enhanced smectic character in comparison with their non-polar analogues. Four further examples of complexes exhibiting polymesomorphism (SA, N and Sc, SA) are described and the occurrence of an Sc phase in three of the complexes are the first such examples. The liquid-crystalline properties of the β-diketone ligands are also discussed.