Synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ethyleneimine)s with cyanobiphenyl groups

A series of polyethyleneimine-based side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers substituted with different ratios of cyanobiphenyl as pendent mesogenic groups has been synthesized in which the spacer length varies between two and six methylene units. The structures of the synthesized polymers are confirmed by infrared and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The thermal properties of these polymers have been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the thermal behaviour of the polymers is strongly dependent on the degree of substitution. Polymers containing more than 69% of mesogenic groups exhibit nematic-type thermotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour with schlieren textures. Below this limit, the polymers are amorphous. Polymers with a higher degree of substitution present the crystalline states. The phase transition temperatures increase and the mesomorphic temperature ranges widen with increasing degree of substitution. The clearing temperatures decrease as the spacer length increases. An odd-even effect in the clearing temperatures is observed and the odd members display the higher values.     

Specific features of liquid-crystalline comb-like polymers with mesogenic groups

The results of structural investigation of the new type of the liquid-crystalline thermotropic methacrylic polymers are discussed. These polymers contain mesogenic groups as models for cholesteric, nematic and smectic types of low-molecular liquid crystals. The groups are attached to the backbone through methylene bridges of various lengths. The polymers of the first group have amorphous structure; the polymers of the second group are characterized by liquid crystalline structure and those of the third group can exist in both crystalline and liquid-crystalline states, manifesting properties of enantiotropic liquid crystals. The temperatures and heats of phase transitions have been determined. It is shown that the ability to realize the liquid-crystalline state of comb-like polymers with mesogenic groups depends on and is determined by the proceess of ordering of these groups.     

New liquid-crystalline polymers with chiral phases

Liquid-crystalline polyesters with cholesteric and probably chiral smectic C* phases were prepared using combined liquid-crystalline polymers (that is polymers with the mesogenic groups in the main chain as well as in the side groups). Copolyesters of these polymers and polymers with olefinic double bonds could be cross-linked retaining the liquid-crystalline phases. This resulted in cross-linked polymers with elastic properties.     

Synthesis of side chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxane containing trans-cyclohexane-based mesogenic side groups

The synthesis and characterization of nine new side chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxanes containing one cyclohexyl ring and another 2-4 aromatic rings in their mesogenic side groups are described. All synthesized polymers displayed nematic mesomorphism. Most of the polymers showed a very wide mesomorphic temperature range. The mesogenic core length has profound influence on the phase transitions of the polymers. The mesomorphic temperature range increased with increasing mesogenic core length.     

Synthesis of side chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxane containing trans-cyclohexane-based mesogenic side groups

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of nine new side chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxanes containing one cyclohexyl ring and another 2-4 aromatic rings in their mesogenic side groups are described. All synthesized polymers displayed nematic mesomorphism. Most of the polymers showed a very wide mesomorphic temperature range. The mesogenic core length has profound influence on the phase transitions of the polymers. The mesomorphic temperature range increased with increasing mesogenic core length.     

Synthesis and thermal behaviours of side-chain liquid-crystalline poly[N-(4-methoxyazobenzene-4′-oxyalkyl)ethyleneimine]

A series of side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers, poly[N-(4-methoxyazobenzene- 4′-oxyalkyl)ethyleneimine](PEnZO), has been synthesised in which the number of methylene units in spacers varies from two to six. The structures of the synthesised monomers and polymers were confirmed by infrared (IR) and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy. The thermal properties of these polymers have been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarising optical macroscopic (POM) X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The test results indicated that the obtained polymers exhibited thermotropic liquid-crystalline mesomorphism of nematic type with schlieren textures. It was observed that the thermal behaviours of the polymers were strongly dependent on the degree of substitution and the length of spacers. Polymers containing less than 57% of mesogenic groups did not exhibit mesogenic phase and resembled amorphous polymer. A more pronounced odd–even effect in the melting points and their enthalpy changes was observed on increasing the spacer length in which the odd members displayed lower values, which were also slightly dependent on the substitution degree of polymers. The mesomorphic temperature ranges of odd members were wider than those of even members. The decomposition temperatures of copolymers were near 230°C.     

X-ray investigation of combined main-chain/side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers

Structural investigations on six combined liquid-crystalline polymers using the X-ray technique are described. The measurements have allowed a characterization of the liquid-crystalline phases and have led to our first ideas about the phase structures. All mesogenic groups are arranged parallel to each other, the shortest segment in the main-chain or in the side-chain determines the smectic layer spacing. A modified designation for liquid-crystalline phases of high polymers is proposed.     

Side-Chain Liquid-Crystalline Polymers with Polystyrene Backbone

Abstract

A series of liquid-crystalline polystyrene derivatives with pendant mesogenic groups has been prepared and characterized. The side-chain is connected to the polystyrene backbone by a methyleneoxyhexyloxy spacer. The mesogenic group is a 4-alkoxy substituted biphenyl group. The length of the alkoxy end-group varied from a methoxy group to an octyloxy group. The polymers were synthesized by a radical reaction. Molar masses (M _n) varied between 17,000 and 46,000, with a molar mass distribution between 1.6 and 2.0. All the polymers were liquid-crystalline, with enantiotropic smectic phases. The polymers were characterized with polarizing microscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and calorimetry.     

Synthesis and ring-opening polymerization of optically pure mesogenic malolactonates

Optically pure malolactonate monomers containing biphenyl mesogenic groups with either an ethylene or a hexamethylene spacer were prepared from optically pure malic acid and polymerized with alkylaluminoxane catalysts to form a series of new chiral side chain liquid-crystalline polymers, which contained the chiral centres in the backbone. The mesogenic malolactonate monomers were determined to be optically pure by ¹H NMR spectroscopy of the β-lactone complexed with a chiral europium shift reagent. Both the methylaluminoxane and isobutylaluminoxane catalysts gave polymers having bimodal molecular weight distributions, the latter catalyst yielded a larger amount of the higher molecular weight fraction than the former. The polymers showed high optical rotations, high degrees of isotactic stereoregularity, and enantiotropic liquid-crystalline properties, all of which were influenced by the molecular weight distribution. Copolymers of malolactonate monomers with different spacers were also prepared and characterized.     

Adhesive liquid-crystalline polymers

The synthesis and characterization of liquid-crystalline polymers with possible good adhesive properties is reported. These polymers are prepared by alternating copolymerization of maleic anhydride and mesogenic alkenes. The spacer length m is varied (m = 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9) and methoxybiphenyl is used as the mesogenic group. The glass transition temperature decreases and the isotropization temperature increases with spacer length. Depending on the spacer length and temperature, S_B and S_Ad mesophases can be observed. After annealing, spin-coated films of these polymers show very regular layered structures with a layer spacing similar to that in the bulk.     

Rheological behavior of comb-shaped mesophase polymers and their modifying role in the blends with thermoplastics

Most of the polymers with mesogenic groups in side- or main-chains are liquid-crystalline in nature. One can observe a lot of similarities in the mesophase structure types, orientational order parameter, anisotropy of optical, electrical and magnetical properties of polymer and low-molecular-weight liquid crystals. At the same time the presence of backbones contributes some peculiarities and limitations to their behavior.     

The Effect of Molecular Weight on the Thermal Properties of Polystyrene-Based Sidechain Liquid-Crystalline Polymers

Abstract

Sidechain liquid-crystalline polymers were prepared by the derivatization of three poly(4-hydroxystyrene) fractions of different molecular weights (M_w = 1.0 × 10⁴, 2.2 × 10⁴ and 3.0 × 10⁴). 4-Cyanoazobenzene and 4-cyanobiphenyl were incorporated as mesogenic groups with ether-linked methylene spacers of varying length. The polymers all exhibited a smectic A phase, with the exception of the propyl member of the cyanobiphenyl series for which no liquid-crystalline behavior was observed. For short spacers the thermal properties were insensitive to molecular weight changes in the backbone, whereas small but consistent differences in the transition temperatures and entropies were observed as the number of methylene groups in the spacer increased.     

Investigations of comblike polysiloxanes. I. The influence of spacer length on dielectric relaxation studies of aligned samples

Dielectric relaxation studies on aligned liquid-crystalline comblike polysiloxanes are presented. The polymers differ only in the length of the flexible spacer separating the mesogenic side groups from the polysiloxane backbone. The characteristic features of the observed relaxation process as a function of frequency and temperature, in both the liquid-crystalline and isotropic phases, are described, and the effect of the spacer length is discussed. Within the liquid-crystalline phase a narrow single loss process is observed, due to the relaxation of the mesogenic side groups around the polymer backbone, whereas in the isotropic phase a much broader loss curve is seen. The transition from an aligned polymer mesophase to the randomly aligned isotropic phase is also studied in detial, and comparison with earlier work on comblike polyacrylate and methacrylate liquid crystals is presented.     

High hole mobility for a side-chain liquid-crystalline smectic polysiloxane exhibiting a nanosegregated structure with a terthiophene moiety

Side-chain liquid-crystalline siloxane polymers bearing terthiophene moieties as mesogenic pendant groups have been synthesized. An alkenylterthiophene derivative was treated with poly(hydrogenmethylsiloxane) and poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-hydrogenmethylsiloxane)s in Me(2)SiO/MeHSiO ratios of 1:1 and 7:3, respectively, in the presence of the Karstedt catalyst, to produce pale yellow polymers. The degrees of introduction of the mesogenic unit were 100, 50, and 30%, respectively. The polymers exhibit ordered smectic phases at room temperature. The copolymers with dimethylsiloxane units form smectic phases as a consequence of nanosegregation between the mesogenic units and siloxane backbones with the alkylene spacers. Time-of-flight measurement reveals that the hole mobility exceeds 1×10(-2) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) in the ordered smectic phase of the copolymer with a degree introduction of the mesogenic units of 50%. This value is comparable to that of the highly ordered mesophases of low-molecular-weight derivatives of phenylnaphthalene and terthiophene. Because of the segregation behavior induced by the flexible backbone, a closer molecular packing structure favorable for fast carrier transport may be formed in the smectic phase of the copolymer in spite of the low density of the mesogenic groups.     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical behavior of polyurethanes based on diisocyanates and diethanolamine derivatives with mesogenic groups in side chain

Thermotropic polyurethanes were prepared from three commercial diisocyanates of various flexibility and eight diols (based on diethanolamine derivatives) with mesogenic groups in side chain with stoichiometric ratio of reactive isocyanate and hydroxy groups. Polymers were studied by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing microscopy. The effect of structure changes in the diisocyanates and diols, in particular changes in the end substituents bound to the mesogen, were investigated. Introduction of mesogenic diols into the polymers suppresses the occurrence of mesophases in comparison with neat diols; in the case of simple end substituents (such as hydrogen, nitro and nitrile), the mesophases disappear completely regardless of the structure of diisocyanate. Stiff end substituents (phenyl and alkoxy groups) stabilize the mesophases to such an extent that the negative influence of long polymer chains is compensated and the liquid-crystalline (LC) properties are recovered. Generally, the polymers prepared from the stiffest 2(4)-methyl-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate exhibit a most pronounced LC behavior.     

Synthesis and liquid-crystalline properties of thermotropic polyamides containing flexible rodlike units and aliphatic spacers

New polyamides with high molecular weights consisting of flexible rod-like mesogenic units (4,4'-diphenyl and 3,4'-diphenyl moieties having bent linkages in the central parts) and aliphatic spacers were synthesized and the thermotropic liquid-crystalline properties were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry, texture observations by polarizing microscopy, miscibility tests and X-ray analysis suggested that the polymers showed well-defined thermotropic smectic mesophases. The polyamides containing 4,4'-diphenyl moieties had higher transition temperatures and formed more stable liquid-crystalline phases than the polyamide composed of the 3,4'-diphenyl unit with a kinked bond.     

Synthesis of novel and regioselectively mesogen-incorporated thermotropic liquid crystals from cellulose derivatives

Regioselectively mesogen-incorporated cellulose derivatives, in which the hydroxy group at C-6 is displaced by a bulky and rigid mesogenic group such as {4-[(4-methoxyphenoxy)carbonyl]phenoxy}acetate or [(4′-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl)oxy]acetate, and the C-2 and C-3 groups are displaced by octanoyl or lauroyl groups, were synthesized. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analyses of the final products, along with polarized optical microscopic observations, revealed that the obtained cellulose derivatives have a thermotropic liquid-crystalline nature and transition from the mesomorphic to the isotropic phase over a wide range of temperatures. These derivatives could be considered to be main-chain liquid-crystalline cellulosic polymers.     

Liquid-crystalline properties of chiral malolactonate monomers and their comb-shaped polymers

A series of optically pure mesogenic ester precursors, and the malolactonate monomers containing mesogenic alcohols obtained from them were prepared and polymerized to homopolymers and copolymers. The liquid-crystalline properties of the precursors, monomers and polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy and wide angle X-ray diffraction. The liquid-crystalline properties of the chiral mesogenic precursors and monomers were only slightly influenced by the chemical structure, configuration and the alkyl spacer length of the mesogenic alcohol substituent of the ester. The precursor, 1-[6-(4'-hexyloxy-4-biphenylyl)oxyhexyl] hydrogen (S)-O-mesylmalate (V-(S)-6) formed smectic E and smectic A phases on melting, while the monomer, 6-(4'-hexyloxy-4-biphenylyl)oxyhexyl (R)-malolactonate (II-(R)-6) showed only a crystal-isotropic phase transition. In contrast, the homopolymer of the latter exhibited a chiral smectic C phase. Copolymers from 2-(4'-hexyloxy-4-biphenylyl)oxyethyl (R)-malolactonate (II-(R)-2) also formed chiral smectic C phases.     

Synthesis and phase behaviour of liquid-crystalline side group polyesters

Several series of liquid-crystalline side group polymers with a polyester backbone structure have been synthesized using mesogenic diethylmalonate and 1,3-propanediol derivatives. The structures of the polymer backbone and the mesogenic units have been varied systematically. As shown by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing microscopy and X-ray diffraction, the side group polyesters exhibit nematic and/or smectic mesophases. Polyesters synthesized from mesogenic diethylmalonate derivatives can tolerate long non-mesogenic segments in the polymer main chain without losing their liquid crystal properties. X-ray studies suggest that some of the smectic polymers exhibit interdigitated bilayer S_A phases.     

Synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ether ester)s having p-substituted biphenyl mesogenic side groups

Several novel mesogenic spiro-orthoester monomers such as 1,6,10-trioxaspiro[4,5]decanes 4 , containing biphenyl mesogens at the C-8 positions of the five- and six-membered spirocyclic ring, through the alkylene spacers of different lengths were prepared by condensation reaction of the corresponding biphenyl mesogenic 1,3-propanediol 3 with 2,2-diethoxytetrahydrofuran, with 50–75% yields. Through cationic double ring-opening polymerization, carried out with boron trifluoride etherate as an initiator (5 mol % vs. monomer) in bulk at 150°C, spiro-orthoester monomers 4 afforded a novel class of side-chain thermotropic LC polymers with a poly(ether ester) as the main chain 8 . The liquid-crystalline properties of the spiro-orthoester monomers and the resulting polymers were examined by differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarized microscopy. Biphase separation was observed in the side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ether ester)s upon annealing in the broad isotropic region. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2439–2455, 1998