Discotic Liquid Crystals of Transition Metal Complexes 131: Synthesis and Discotic Columnar Mesomorphism of π-Donor Bis[1,2-di(3′,4′-di-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethane-1,2-dioximato]nickel(II) Complexes

Disk-like complexes, bis[1,2-di(3′,4′-di-n-alkoxyphenyl)ethane-1,2-dioximato]nickel(II) (abbreviated as [(CnO)4DPG]2Ni, n = 4, 8, 12) have been synthesized and characterized. The [(CnO)4DPG]2Ni (n = 4, 8, 12) complexes exhibit discotic hexagonal disordered columnar (Dhd) mesophases. Interestingly, it was found that the [(C8O)4DPG]2Ni complex has two kinds of Dhd mesophases. These complexes are the first discotic columnar liquid crystals in the bis(glyoximato)metal(II) system.