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The synthesis and characterization for a series of symmetrical 1,3-dialkylimidazolium salts with different chain lengths and counter anions together with their 1-alkylimidazole precursors are described. Liquid crystal (LC) properties of these salts are studied. Images under polarizing optical microscopy show focal conic texture together with homeotropic domains. A smectic A mesophase, typical for rod-like imidazolium salts, is assigned. Studies from powder X-ray diffraction suggest a lamellar structure with noninterdigitated monolayer arrangement for the LC salts in the mesophase. In addition, a short note on the structure and property relationship for rod-like, disc-or fan-like, and dendritic shaped imidazolium ionic liquid crystals (ImILCs) forming smectic, columnar, and cubic phase is briefly summarized. A comparison of minimum alkyl chain length needed for 1-alkyl-3-methyl and symmetrical 1,3-dialkyl ImILCs to exhibit LC behavior is addressed.

Three types of Au(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and imidazole (Im) complexes, namely [Au(NHC)Cl], [Au(NHC)(Im)][NO(3)], and [Au(NHC)(2)][NO(3)], with two-, three-, and four-N-long alkyl chains, respectively, were synthesized and their mesomorphic properties investigated. Only the [Au(NHC)(Im)][NO(3)] series of compounds, adopting an m-shaped conformation in the solid state, showed liquid crystalline properties. For the molecules with three alkyl chains in particular, the Coulombic and hydrogen bonding interactions between the cationic head core and anionic NO(3)(-), and the hydrophobic chain-chain interactions facilitate in sustaining the partially ordered motion, which is not observed for those with two and four arms. These complexes were employed for preparation of stable nanomaterials in organic solvents.

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An imidazolium (Im) salt with two long alkyl substituents at N atoms is employed to prepare cubelike palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs). The bilayer nature of the capped Im salts is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and NMR studies. These capped Im salts are labile, as evidenced by their displacement reaction with dimethylaminopyridine, and the observation of fast exchange between those free and capped Im salts on the NMR time scale. NMR results also show that these capped Im salts exhibit different diffusion rates, and interesting spinning rate dependent chemical shifts. These cubelike PdNPs could catalyze the Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides and boronic acids with high yields in 10 min, even at room temperature.