Synthesis of liquid crystal ferrocene derivatives and their complexes with Cu2+

A series of liquid crystal ferrocene-containing Schiff bases of general formula C₅H₅FeC₅H₄-C₆H₄-N=CN-(X)C₆H₃-O(O)-C₆H₄-OC_nH_2n+1 (X=H, OH, n=3–12) was obtained, together with several analogs, 1,1-bis-substituted at the ferrocene fragment, having a thermotropic nematic mesophases. Derivatives with X=OH were used to obtain Cu²⁺ chelate complexes, of which the compounds with n=10 and n=12 displayed nematic liquid crystalline properties.Physicotechnical Institute, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 420083 Kazan. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 402–407, February, 1992.