Electron-transfer induced mesomorphism in the ferrocene–ferrocenium redox system: first ferrocenium-containing thermotropic liquid crystal

Chemical oxidation (silver tosylate, acetone, room temperature) of a non-mesomorphic persubstituted ferrocene derivative leads to the corresponding ferrocenium species which exhibits a smectic A phase (polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction).