Copper soaps have been widely investigated because of their liquid crystalline properties. Copper(II) carboxylates typically exhibit a paddlewheel geometry where four ligands bridge a copper dimer. With long chain carboxylate ligands these materials exhibit hexagonal columnar liquid crystal phases where the dimers form columns through axial ligation with O-carboxylate donors from proximal dimers. X-ray studies of the caprolactam aduct of non liquid crytsalline copper(II) phenylacetate dimer exhibits the formation of columns of copper dimers through H-bonding interactions between axially bound caprolactam ligands on proximal dimers. We report the synthesis and characterization by X-ray diffraction of a series of caprolactam adducts of copper(II) dimers with bridging butanoate, hexanoate and octanoate ligands. In each case the copper(II) carboxylate caprolactam adducts are associated through H-bonding into either columns or sheets. In addition, characterization by Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Polarized Optical Microscopy shows that all three adducts are liquid crystalline with melting points below those of the parent copper(II) carboxylate dimers.

Copper(II) dimer liquid crystals: Effects of axial ligation with caprolactam

255th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.