The crystal and molecular structure of the title complexes have been determined by X-ray diffraction using visually estimated intensity data. The nickel compound has a = 13.965(10), b = 7.403( lo), c = 8.91 2 ( 9 ) A, p = 99.3(9)", Z = 2, and space group P2,/a, while the copper compound has a = 10.871 ( 8), b = 7.576(10), c = 27.579(7)A, (3 = 127.0(8)", Z = 4, and space group P2,/c. The co-ordination plane in the nickel case is tilted by ca. 22" towards the salicylaldimine plane and the two salicylaldimine planes have a significant step ca. 1.02 A at Ni. The salicylaldimine groups in the copper case are only slightly tilted relative to the co-ordination plane, which has a small tetrahedral distortion.

SynopsisSemiflexible thermotropic aromatic polyesters with lateral groups were aligned magnetically and mechanically in monodomains after separation into high-molecular-weight (polymer) and low-molecular-weight (oligomer) fractions. Based on the x-ray intensity distributions recorded for a series of seven different substituents in the arylsulfonyl substituted group, a novel smectic structure was determined for H, F, C1, OCH,, and CH, in the para position while a normal nematic alignment prevailed when it contained Br or NO,.

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