NMR investigations of Co(III) coordination compounds oriented in a dilute lyotropic liquid crystal

A swollen lamellar phase, based on sodium dodecyl sulfate, pentanol and NaBr brine, was examined by means of NMR spectroscopy of isotopes with quadrupolar characteristics, namely 2 H, 17 O, 23 Na and 81 Br, present at natural abundance. Such a dilute lyotropic liquid crystal was capable of inducing a preferential orientation of the cobalt coordination compounds [Co(en) 3 ] 3+ and Co(acac) 3 , the 59 Co NMR signals of which displayed quadrupolar splittings. Moreover, it imparted alignment in the magnetic field to the organocobaloxime [ClCD 2 Co(Hdmg) 2 H 2 O], as shown by the quadrupolar splitting of the deuterium of the axial ligand. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.