Thermotropic lanthanidomesogens

Due to their high and variable coordination numbers leading to poorly predictable threedimensional coordination spheres, the trivalent lanthanide metal ions are challenging molecular objects for introduction into thermotropic liquid crystals. Conversely, their predictive electronic, optical and magnetic metal-centred properties make them particularly attractive for being incorporated into switchable macroscopic materials responding to external electric and magnetic stimuli. We briefly describe here some of the important concepts and strategies leading to the recent successful preparation of luminescent thermotropic lanthanide-containing mesophases, for which the generic term lanthanidomesogens is proposed

Thermotropic lanthanidomesogens

Due to their high and variable coordination numbers leading to poorly predictable threedimensional coordination spheres, the trivalent lanthanide metal ions are challenging molecular objects for introduction into thermotropic liquid crystals. Conversely, their predictive electronic, optical and magnetic metal-centred properties make them particularly attractive for being incorporated into switchable macroscopic materials responding to external electric and magnetic stimuli. We briefly describe here some of the important concepts and strategies leading to the recent successful preparation of luminescent thermotropic lanthanide-containing mesophases, for which the generic term lanthanidomesogens is proposed

Design of high coordination number metallomesogens by decoupling of the complex-forming and mesogenic groups: Nematic and lamello-columnar mesophases

Liquid-crystalline complexes of rhenium(I), yttrium(III), lanthanum(III), neodymium(III), samarium(III), europium(III), erbium(III), and ytterbium(III) were obtained by coupling mesogenic 4-cyanobiphenyl groups via a long alkyl spacer to a substituted imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline, which acts as the coordinating group. In the case of the rare-earth complexes, 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate was used as the coligand. The rhenium(I) complexes contain the bromotricarbonylrhenium(I) moiety. All the rare-earth complexes exhibit a nematic phase, whereas the rhenium(l) complexes and the imidazole-bearing phenanthroline derivatives show a nematic or a lamellar columnar phase, depending on the number of attached mesogenic groups. The phase structures of the lamellar columnar phases are discussed and described on the basis of both X-ray diffraction data and dynamic molecular modeling. The lanthanide complexes are highly luminescent in the solid phase and as a Solution in a nematic liquid-crystal host (5CB). The approach discussed in this paper can be generalized to obtain other high coordination number metallomesogens.status: publishe