SYNTHESIS OF POTENTIALLY SELF-ASSEMBLING LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE MACROCYCLIC COMPLEXES - DETECTION OF A NEW GLASSY STATE

In studies aimed at generating new self-assembling macrocyclic complex es for conductivity and modified electrode studies we prepared new azo tetraazaannulene macrocycles and their Ni complexes. The temperature-d ependent behaviour of these compounds as studied by DSC showed that wh ile some were sensitive to decomposition, others readily formed a stab le glassy material of the kind that has been observed in mesogenic org anic compounds with bulky side groups. We have also investigated the s elf-assembly of these molecules onto gold electrode surfaces. The Co m acrocyclic complex adsorbs such that the metal centre is no longer acc essible to O2.