The first uranium based liquid crystals. Uranyl metallomesogens from β-diketone and tropolone ligands

A tropolone ligand (5-hexadecyloxytropolone) complexed with uranyl, produces a very narrow liquid crystal range at high temperatures. A β-diketone ligand (1-[4-decyloxyphenyl]-3-tridecylpropane-1,3-dione) designed for a more extensive liquid crystal range, produces a uranyl liquid crystal at low temperatures, which remains liquid crystalline while supercooling down to room temperature. This opens the way to a host of interesting new superheavy metallomesogens, uranium metallomesogens, low melting metallomesogens, and possible radiopharmaceuticals.