Molecules exhibiting cold crystallization, an exothermic phenomenon in heating following supercooling, can be used as a heat storing material. On the other hand, examples in non-polymers are still few. A chiral Schiff-base nickel(II) complex, which had a characteristic methyl group and long alkyl chains, exhibited complicated thermal behavior including cold crystallization. The methyl group was a steric barrier to dimerization and molecular stacking, leading to the supercooled state. In addition, the thermal behavior of enantiomer was different from that of racemate.
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