Crystal and Molecular Structures of Isomorphous Bis[1,3-di(p-n- octylphenyl)propane-1,3-dionato Palladium(II) and Bis[1,3-di(p-n-octylphenyl)propane-1,3-dionato Nickel(II)

Crystal structures of the transition metal complexes bis[1,3-di(p-n-octylphenyl)propane-1,3-dionato palladium(II) and bis[11,3-di(p-n-octylphenyl)propane-1,3-dionato nickel(II) have been solved and refined to R = 0.051 and 0.064 respectively, using diffractometer collected X-ray data. The palladium and the nickel complexes are found to be isomorphous with the P-form of the copper complex bis[1,3- di(p-n-octylphenyl propane-1,3-dionato copper(II). Despite the unambiguous structural isomorphism, only the palladium and the copper complexes are mesogenic; the nickel complex is reportedly non- mesogenic. In the crystal structures, the metal atoms are surrounded by four oxygen atoms in a square planar arrangement. The octyl chains are fully extended in an all-trans conformation. The crystal structures are characterized by both layer-like and columnar arrangement of molecules.