title: Thermotropic ruthenium(II)-containing metallomesogens based on substituted 1,10-phenanthroline ligands.
abstract: Imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline and pyrazino[2,3-f]-1,10-phenanthroline substituted with long alkyl chains are versatile ligands for the design of metallomesogens because of the ease of ligand substitution. Whereas the ligands and the corresponding rhenium(I) complexes were not liquid-crystalline, mesomorphism was observed for the corresponding ionic ruthenium(II) complexes with chloride, hexafluorophosphate, and bistriflimide counterions. The mesophases were identified as smectic A phases by high-temperature small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) using synchrotron radiation. The transition temperatures depend on the anion, the highest temperatures being observed for the chloride salts and the lowest for the bistriflimide salts. The ruthenium(II) complexes are examples of luminescent ionic liquid crystals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F-bus 2404, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. thomas.cardinaels@chem.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cardinaels
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Driesen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nockemann
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Hecke
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Meervelt
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goderis
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Binnemans