| Abstract Scope |
A novel mesogenic Schiff-base, N,N’-di-(4’-octadecyloxybenzoate)salicylidene diaminoethane (H2L4 showing Sm-F and Sm-G mesophases), 1, was synthesized and its structure studied by elemental analyses and mass, NMR & IR spectra. Lanthanide complexes of the Schiff-base with the general formula, [Ln(L4H2)3NO3](NO3)2 (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy and Ho), were synthesized and structurally characterized; on the basis of IR & NMR spectral data of the complexes the Schiff-base was found to act as a bi-dentate Zwiterionic-species coordinating through two phenolate oxygens. A distorted square anti-prismatic polyhedron was proposed around the LnIII ions. Among the complexes, only that of the La(III) was found to be mesogenic with nematic phase. |