Metallomesogens: Metal Complexes in Organized Fluid Phases

The almost unlimited potential for variation is the astounding feature of metallo-mesogens. They combine the variety of coordination chemistry with the exceptional properties of liquid crystals. The incorporation of metals into mesophases intensifies useful characteristics such as polarizability and birefringence, but the increase in melting point (the temperature at which the phase transition crystal → liquid crystal takes place) is a disadvantage. For practical applications it should be close to room temperature. As a result of asymmetry in the ligand sphere, which disturbs the packing in the crystal, the olefin-platinum complexes 1 adopt the smectic A phase at low temperature.