Calamitics, cubics, and columnars-liquid-crystalline complexes of silver(I)

The study of metallomesogens has added several new dimensions to the wider field of liquid crystals. In this Account, just one family of complexes is considered, namely alkoxystilbazole complexes of various silver(I) salts. These complexes show an incredibly rich and diverse mesomorphism ranging from nematic and smectic to columnar phases; in particular, many complexes show the still rare thermotropic cubic phase. Through systematic structural variations, it has been possible to gain a good understanding of the factors influencing the behavior of these fascinating systems.