Cholesterol-based dimesogenic bidentate ligands and their Cu(II) and Pd(II) metallomesogens

The synthesis and evaluation of the liquid crystalline properties of non-conventional liquid crystals, consisting of two non-identical mesogenic segments interconnected via a paraffinic chain spacer, are of considerable current interest. In particular, chiral dimesogens possessing a cholesteryl ester unit as the chiral entity joined to other aromatic mesogens through a polymethylene spacer have shown unique and interesting thermal behaviour. In continuation of our investigations on this topic, here we present the synthesis and characterization of the first examples of cholesterol-based unsymmetrical dimesogenic bidentate ligands and their Cu(II) and Pd(II) metal-organic systems (metallomesogens). Our studies reveal that the dimesogenic bidentate ligands exhibit multiple mesophases, whereas their metal complexes stabilize only the mesophase.