The synthesis and characterisation of 4-(3',4',5'-trialkoxybenzoyloxy)pyridines (1a-e), and of their corresponding palladium(II), (2a-e), and platinum(II), (3a-e), complexes are described. The pyridine-based ligands are not mesomorphic, but upon complexation to PdCl 2 or PtCl 2 , new hexacatenar mesogens are formed which show exclusively the hexagonal columnar mesophase. The mesomorphic behaviour of the complexes was characterised by polarised optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The metal seems to influence the crystal phase and mesophase stability as well as the mesomorphic temperature range.