<p>A novel cobalt(II) liquid-crystalline coordination complex, [Co(tetdec)(lig)₂]·2H₂O (<b>F</b>), where ‘tetdec’ denotes cyclam (1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), and ‘lig’ denotes 4-hexadecyloxybenzoate (4-CH₃(CH₂)₁₅OC₆H₄COO-) ligands; was synthesized through a coordination reaction between cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate, cyclam, and 4-hexadecyloxybenzoate. The elemental investigation results agreed well with the proposed molecular formula, C₅₆H₁₀₂CoN₄O₈. Thermal characterization by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed a sequence of state transformations followed by crystal-to-smectic mesophase and smectic-to-isotropic phase transitions. The existence of the smectic mesophase was further verified by polarized optical microscopy (POM), which displayed characteristic birefringent batonnet-like textures during phase evolution. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the complex remains thermally stable below approximately 282&#xa0;°C, with decomposition commencing at this temperature. The electronic absorption band observed at 528&#xa0;nm was assigned to the spin-allowed d-d transition, ⁴T₁g(F)→⁴T₁g(P), characteristic of high-spin octahedral Co(II). Magnetic susceptibility measurements at room temperature yielded an effective magnetic moment (µ_eff) of 5.1 B.M., consistent with a high-spin octahedral Co(II) (d⁷) center, where spin-orbit coupling and the partially unquenched orbital angular momentum associated with the ⁴T₁g(F) ground state contribute significantly to the enhanced magnetic moment. The coexistence of thermotropic liquid-crystalline behavior and a relatively high magnetic moment suggests that this Co(II) metallomesogen may serve as a promising platform for future investigations of multifunctional responsive materials. However, experimental studies under applied magnetic fields are required to evaluate its eligibility for applications such as magnetically controlled liquid-crystalline devices or magneto-optical systems.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>