THE SYNTHESIS AND MESOMORPHISM OF A NEW SERIES OF SILVER(I) COMPLEXES SHOWING GLASSY MESOPHASES

Reaction of 3,4-dialkoxystilbazoles (n-3,4-OPhVPy) with silver dodecylsulphate (AgDOS) leads to complexes of the formula [Ag(n-3,4-OPhVPy)(2)][DOS]. These complexes are polycatenar liquid crystals and show mesophases which are characteristic of this structural type, namely, hexagonal, columnar and cubic. On cooling, some of the materials do not crystallize, but form stable glasses instead. All the mesophases have been fully characterized by small angle X-ray diffraction.