CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURES OF ISOMORPHOUS BIS[1,3-DI(P-N-OCTYLPHENYL)PROPANE-1,3-DIONATO] PALLADIUM(II) AND BIS[1,3-DI(P-N-OCTYLPHENYL)PROPANE-1,3-DIONATO] NICKEL(II)

Crystal structures of the transition metal complexes bis[1,3-di(p-n-oc tylphenyl)propane-1,3-dionato] palladium(II) and bis[1,3-di(p-n-octylp henyl)propane-1,3-dionato] nickel(II) have been solved and refined to R = 0.051 and 0.064 respectively, using diffractometer collected X-ray data. The palladium and the nickel complexes are found to be isomorph ous with the P-form of the copper complex bis[1,3-di(p-n-octylphenyl p ropane-1,3-dionato] copper(II). Despite the unambiguous structural iso morphism, only the palladium and the copper complexes are mesogenic; t he nickel complex is reportedly non-mesogenic. In the crystal structur es, the metal atoms are surrounded by four oxygen atoms in a square pl anar arrangement. The octyl chains are fully extended in an all-trans conformation. The crystal structures are characterized by both layer-l ike and columnar arrangement of molecules.