Eight-Vertex Metallomesogens: Zirconium Tetrakis-β-diketonate Liquid Crystals

Square antiprism zirconium tetrakis-β-diketonate complexes with 24 alkoxy chains organize in columnar liquid crystal phases. X-ray diffraction and polarized microscopy studies on complexes with n -alkoxy side chains revealed a columnar hexagonal phase. These sandwich-shaped compounds have much lower transition temperatures than their discotic analogues, which leads to the desirable attribute of room temperature liquid crystallinity. The addition of two branching methyl groups to the alkoxy chains was found to dramatically alter the properties of these materials. The branched side chain analogues exhibited a higher clearing point while the liquid crystallinity is maintained at room temperature. The branching methyl groups also induced a bulk reorganization of the material to a rare columnar oblique phase (Col ob ).