Phenyl-cyclohexyl enaminoketone ligands and their Cu(II) complexes

Abstract

Abstract The liquid crystalline properties of 1-(alkylamino)-3-[(4″-hexyl-trans-cyclohexyl-4′-phenyl]-prop-1-en-3-one-s, from methyl to octadecyl, and their copper (II) complexes have been examined by optical, DSC, X-ray and EPR methods. The compounds are enantiotropic nematogens except those having the shortest and the longest terminal chains. Short chains promote the SA phase in both ligands and complexes, whereas long chains promote SC and crystal H phases for the ligands or SA and SC phases for the complexes. A partly bilayer smectic Ad phase is observed from ligands terminated with short non-polar substituents. Direct isotropisation from the crystal H phase for some of the compounds, as well as other phase transitions have been studied. The molecular shape of the complexes and the organization of their mesomorphic phases are discussed, based on the refractive indices and X-ray data.