Liquid crystals – metallomesogensLiquid crystalline compounds based on metal complexes, metallomesogens, are well known since the beginning of the XXth century, being regarded that times no more than curiousity. Results regarding their existence were sporadicaly reported until the ‘80s. The renaissance of the subject is ascribed to Giroud and Mueller-Westerhoff who published their results regarding the synthesis and liquid crystals properties of Ni(II) dithiolenes complexes in 1977 [1].
Since then, this field expanded hugely, being the subject of several specialised books as well as being included as special chapters in the last edition of Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry in 2003 [2] and in 2006 edition of Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry [3].
1. A.-M. Giroud, U.T. Mueller-Westerhoff, Mol. Cryst., Liq. Cryst., 1977, 41, 11.
2. B. Donnio, D. Guillon, R. Deschenaux , D.W. Bruce, in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II; Eds. J.A. McCleverty and T.J. Meyer, Elsevier, Oxford, UK, 2003, Vol. 7, chapter 7.9, pp. 357-627.
3. B. Donnio, D. Guillon, R. Deschenaux, D. W. Bruce in Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry III; Eds. R. H. Crabtree and D. M. P. Mingos, Elsevier, Vol. 12, chapter 12.3, 2006.
