4-Alkoxybenzoic acids are well-known liquid crystals. The rigid core of the mesogen is
formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Layered structures with characteristics that
depend on the lanthanide ion are formed when a trivalent lanthanide ion is introduced.
Also, the chain length influences the structure and hence the thermal behavior of these
complexes. Lanthanide complexes of 4-butyloxybenzoic acid have a low crystallinity, whereas
metal complexes with longer chain lengths display several types of layered structures. The
thermal behavior of lanthanum(III) and holmium(III) 4-butyloxybenzoate, 4-hexyloxybenzoate, 4-octyloxybenzoate, 4-nonyloxybenzoate, and 4-decyloxybenzoate is discussed, relying
on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermooptical microscopy, and synchrotron X-ray
diffraction data. A smectic A mesophase was observed for lanthanum(III) 4-hexyloxybenzoate,
lanthanum(III) 4-octyloxybenzoate, and lanthanum(III) 4-nonyloxybenzoate. The corresponding holmium(III) compounds are not liquid crystalline.