Toward Liquid Crystalline Supramolecular Squares Based on PLatinum (II) Diimine Complexes

Abstract

Bipyridine complexes of platinum(II) possess a host of interesting, and potentially useful optical and electronic properties. Conjugating the [bpyPt(II)Cl2] chromophore to b-branched aliphatic fragments results in a new class of liquid crystalline derivatives that embed the properties of this chromophore into a responsive fluid system. The resulting materials showed both ambient liquid crystallinity and novel phase dependent luminescence, encouraging us to explore other derivatives of the [bpyPt(II)] moiety. Specifically, we have begun to expand our efforts to multi-metallic systems such as the supramolecular metallosquares that can be formed by combining a fragment such as [bpyPt(II)] with diethynyl linkers. Our recent synthetic efforts toward this new class of liquid crystalline materials, as well as related model “corner” complexes will be presented.