Mesogens based on palladium orthometallated complexes with carboxylato bridges: tuning and shaping a non-planar molecule

Binuclear cyclopalladated compounds [Pd2(μ-OH)2(Ln)2] (HLn = imine) react with RCOOH to give [Pd2(μ-O2CR)2(Ln)2], where the carboxylato groups are changed systematically. The type of carboxylato ligand shapes the overall aspect of the molecule and its polarity and tunes the thermal properties to produce liquid crystals.