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

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