No bonding interactions exist between the three interpenetrating framework structures in 1, and all of the two‐dimensional networks are constructed by coordinate linkages‐these two principles describe the structure of 1 (shown schematically on the right). Compound 1 was prepared from K2[Cd(CN)4], Ag‐NO3, and pyrazine at pH 10.

No abstract

Doping nematic liquid crystals with optically active compounds transforms them into chiral nematic phases with helical structures. In this phenomenon, the chirality of the dopant molecules is transferred or amplified to the bulk of the liquid crystals. Δ-[Ru(acac)3] (acac = acetylacetonato) is known to work as one of the dopants with a strong helical twisting power (HTP). In this study, we have systematically modified [Ru(acac)3] to clarify the correlation between the molecular structure and HTP; we have designed and synthesized five new Ru(III) complexes, [Ru(acac)2(acacC8)] (RuC8-1, acac = acetylacetonate, acacC8 = 3-(4'-octyloxy-phenylalkynyl)-pentane-2,4-dionato), [Ru(acac)(acacC8)2] (RuC8-2), [Ru(acacC8)3] (RuC8-3), [Ru(acacC0)3] (RuC0-3, acacC0 = 3-(phenylalkynyl)-pentane-2,4-dionato), and [Ru(acacC24)3] (RuC24-3, acacC24 = 3-(3',4',5'-tri(octyloxy)-phenylalkynyl)-pentane-2,4-dionato). All the complexes, except for RuC0-3, could be separated into Δ, Λ isomers by HPLC on a chiral column and were examined as chiral dopants for a nematic liquid crystal, N-(4-methoxybenzilidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA). The Δ isomers of RuC8-1, RuC8-2, RuC8-3, and RuC24-3 induced a right-handed (P) helix and the magnitudes of the HTPs (/μm(-1)) were determined as follows: RuC8-1 (+60) < RuC8-2 (+109) > RuC8-3 (+78) > RuC24-3 (+41). The HTPs of the ruthenium dopants were not simply proportional to their size. The highest HTP observed in biaxial RuC8-2 was attributed to the balance of the molecular helicity and high ordering in MBBA based on the surface chirality model.

A liquid crystal host-guest system composed of achiral organic molecules (host) and colored chiral metal complexes (guest) was fabricated to sense both right- and left-handed circularly polarized light (r- and l-CPL), depending on the guest (dopant) concentration. The CPL-sensing can be reversibly turned on and off upon mechanical stress and heating.

No abstract