Synthesis and Liquid-Crystal Behavior of Metal-Free and Metal-Containing Phthalocyanines Substituted with Long-Chain Amide Groups

The synthesis and characterization (by optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction) of two series of octasubstituted lipophilic phthalocyanines 1 − 3 and 4 − 7, bearing amide functions in the peripheral chains, are reported. Compounds 1 − 3, 6, and 7 exhibit a liquid-crystal phase, for which a hexagonal columnar structure is proposed on the basis of the X-ray studies. The number of peripheral hydrocarbon chains and the possibility of hydrogen bonding is shown to have a critical influence on mesomorphism in these compounds.