Effect of the organic fragment on the mesogenic properties of a series of organogold(I) isocyanide complexes. X-ray crystal structure of [Au(CCC5H4N)(CNC6H4O(O)CC6H4OC10H21)]

Rod-like organogold(I) complexes AuR(CNC₆H₄O(O)CC₆H₄OC₁₀H₂₁-p)] were prepared and their liquid crystal behaviour was studied. Depending on the nature of R, the synthetic methodology was different. Thus, for R = substituted alkynyl ligands, the new compounds were prepared in two steps:(i) reaction of AuCl(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) with R′CCH(R′ = C₅H₄N, C₆H₄CN, C₆H₄CCC₅H₄N) in the presence of NaOAc to give insoluble Au(CCR′)]_n; (ii) reaction of the latter polymers with the isonitrile CNC₆H₄O(O)CC₆H₄OC₁₀H₂₁-p.For R = fluorinated aryls, the complexes were prepared by displacement of tht from the compounds AuR(tht)] (R = C₅F₄N, C₆F₄C₅H₄N, C₆F₅) with isonitrile.In addition, an unexpected ionic derivative Au(CCC₅H₄NC₁₀H₂₁)₂]Au(CCC₅H₄N)₂] was formed in the reaction between PPh₄]Au(CCC₅H₄N)₂] and C₁₀H₂₁I. All these compounds have been characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The X-ray crystal structure of the compound with R = CCC₅H₄N shows a linear molecule in which the gold atom is surrounded by the pyridine-containing acetylene and the isonitrile ligand, and no direct gold-gold interaction occurs. Six of the neutral compounds are liquid crystals and their optical, thermal and thermodynamic data were analyzed and compared in terms of molecular polarizability.