X-ray investigations on a homologous series of mesogenic azo compounds complexed with palladium (II)

The X-ray diffraction experimental data concerning a homologous series of p-alkyl-p'-alkoxy-azobenzene cyclopalladated chloro-bridged dimers, both as powder and monodomain samples, are reported. These results, compared with those obtained for the parent non-metallated materials, suggest a model for the molecular arrangement wherein the alkoxy and alkyl chains are roughly coplanar with the palladium-containing rigid core and, depending on the chain length, bent towards each other.