Abstract
The synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of dinuclear and mononuclear cyclopalladated derivatives of (p-ethoxyphenylazo)-p-phenyl heptanoate are reported.
The dinuclear halo-bridged complexes show nematic phases at temperatures increasing in the order CI < Br < I.
The breaking of the halogen bridge by pyridine or quinoline affords a new series of mononuclear liquid crystals in which a layered smectic phase is present. The connection between the nature of the neutral nitrogenous ligand and the thermal properties of the mononuclear complexes is also discussed.