Room-temperature columnar mesophases in triazine-gold thiolate metal-organic supramolecular aggregates

Supramolecular mono- and dinuclear liquid-crystalline gold(I) aggregates have been synthesized by means of hydrogen bond interactions of 2,4,6-triarylamino-1,3,5-triazine with thiolate moities of gold metalloacids [Au(PR3)(SC6H4COOH)] or [μ-(binap){Au(SC6H4COOH)}2], in 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratio, respectively. All of the supramolecular aggregates display a stable columnar hexagonal mesophase (Col(h)) at room-temperature. The supramolecular arrangement within the columns consists of the one-dimensional stacking of triazine units, with the core of the attached metallic thioacid fragments acting as the fourth branch. The phosphine-containing moieties of the metallic thioacid protrude out in the aliphatic continuum. These complexes do not show metallophilic interactions, but this strategy appears very promising for the future design of room-temperature LC mesophases containing interacting metallic fragments.