Solvent-dependent mesomorphism of polycatenar silver(I) complexes in organic solvents

In this paper, the solvent-induced liquid crystal properties of a range of polycatenar complexes of silver(I) are described. The behaviour is examined in a range of solvents, where it is found that mesophases can be induced that are not present in the solvent-free materials. It is shown that in the majority of cases, the induced mesophases can be explained in terms of ideas concerning interfacial curvature and the location of added solvents, but in others, 'chromonic'-type behaviour is found, so that the observed mesomorphism is truly a solvent-dependent phenomenon.