A liquid crystal derived from ­ruthenium(II,III) and a long-chain carboxylate.

The title compound, catena-poly[[tetrakis(μ-decanoato-κ² O: O′)diruthenium(II,III)( Ru- Ru)]-μ-octanesulfonato-κ² O: O′], [Ru₂(C₁₀H₁₉O₂)₄(C₈H₁₇O₃S)], is an octane­sulfonate derivative of the mixed-valence complex diruthenium tetradecanoate. The equatorial carboxyl­ate ligands are bidentate, bridging two Ru atoms to form a dinuclear structure. Each of the two independent dinuclear metal complexes in the asymmetric unit is located at an inversion centre. The octane­sulfonate anion bridges the two dinuclear units through axial coordination. The alkyl chains of the carboxyl­ate and sulfonate ligands are arranged in a parallel manner. The global structure can be seen as infinite chains of polar moieties separated by a double layer of non-polar alkyl groups, without interdigitation of the alkyl chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]