Five new series of azobenzene derivatives containing thiophene, naphthalene or ferrocene with chalcone and ester linkages have been synthesized and characterized. The photosensitive azobenzene group underwent photoisomerization under UV light, which was monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy. The cyclic voltammograms of compounds containing ferrocene showed a quasi-reversible and diffusion-controlled redox process. These compounds displayed high thermal stability according to the thermogravimetry measurements. According to differential scanning calorimetry, thermal polarizing microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction studies, the compounds containing ferrocene and the compounds with three or no terminal alkoxy chains on the side of the ester group all showed no liquid crystal behaviour. However, the compounds with a terminal alkoxy chain on the side of the ester group or a terminal alkoxy chain at both ends of the molecule exhibited enantiotropic mesophases, but the latter had a narrow mesogenic domain. The increase of the length of the mesogenic unit by replacement of the benzene ring with a naphthalene ring resulted in both an increase in the clearing point and in an increase in the mesophase domain.

Ferrocene and [3]ferrocenophane-based β-diketones and their Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the molecular structures of the Cu(II) complexes. UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements were obtained. All the new compounds showed quasireversible and diffusion-controlled redox processes. The complexes displayed high thermal stability according to the thermogravimetry (TG) measurements. The β-diketone ligands and complexes exhibited high catalytic effects on the thermal degradation of ammonium perchlorate (AP) which was evaluated by TG and differential scanning calorimetry techniques, whereas the addition of Cu(II) complexes lowered the thermal decomposition temperature of AP more dramatically and released more heat compared with the addition of β-diketone ligands or Zn(II) complexes. We expect that this kind of transition metal complexes containing ferrocenyl would has great value in preparing a high burning rate catalyst for composite solid propellants.

•Mono-substituted 1,2,3-triazolylferrocene derivatives were prepared.•These compounds exhibit good absorption, emission and electrochemical properties.•The liquid crystal properties of this kind of compound were investigated.Mono-substituted 1,2,3-triazolylferrocene derivatives with nitro groups (2a–2c) had been synthesized and characterized. The UV–vis absorption spectra of these compounds corresponded to the assembled spectra of ferrocene and aryl substitute groups in comparison with the control compound 2d without a ferrocenyl, and the fluorescence spectra showed a maximum at about 380 nm in CH2Cl2. The cyclic voltammograms of 2a–2c showed the quasi-reversible oxidation waves of the ferrocenyl groups, and these waves anodically shifted in comparison with the ferrocene standard due to the electron withdrawing effect of the 1,2,3-triazole ring and nitro groups. According to thermal polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction studies, compounds 2a–2d were all non-mesomorphic and displayed crystal polymorphic phase transitions upon heating.