STUDIES ON THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS:POLY (ARYLENE TEREPHTHALATECO-HEXAMETHYLENE TEREFHTHALATE)

A series of copolyesters based on terephthaloyl chloride, hexamethylene glycol and hydroquinone or chlorohydroquinone were prepared. The copolymers showed composition-dependent liquid crystalline properties as verified by visual observation of stir-opalescence, polarizing microscope and DSC. The copolyesters with aromatic diol contents over a certain extent (x≥0.2) were thermotropic with wide liquid crystalline temperature ranges. Comparing with the copolyesters based on butylene glycol or ethylene glycol, the minimum fraction of aromatic diol (x value) used to get the liquid crystallinity for all these copolyesters is around 0.2 regardless of the chain lengths of aliphatic glycols. ~1H-NMP studies revealed that copolyesters have microstructure of block sequence distribution and the mesogenie segments shorter than triad with three phenyl nuclei will not provide the liquid crystallinity.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH REGULAR SEQUENCE STRUCTURE

Several novel aromatic liquid crystalline copolyesters with regular sequence structure were prepared by melt Sehotten-Baumann polycondensation via complex monomer. Polarizing microscope with hot stage, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the structure and properties of the copolyesters. The effects of structural units, such as flexible spacer, noncolinear meta-linked phenylene unit, crankshaft unit, kink with flexible bridging unit and various substituted benzene rings on melting temperature of aromatic copolyesters were studied and discussed on the basis of crystalline structure of the polymers.     

PREPARATION OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH SPACERS BASED ON BISPHENOL-A,BISPHENOL-S OR POLYSULFONE BY DIRECT POLYCONDENSATION

Four series of copolyesters were synthesized by direct polycondonsation reaction between aromatic dicarboxylic acids and bisphenols by using tosyi chloride and N, N-dimethylformamide ( DMF ) in pyridine under mild conditions. The electron-rich hydroxyl groups of bisphenols favoured the polycondensation reaction and the order of relative reactivities of bisphenols is as follow:bisphenoI-A> hydroquinone ～bisphenol-S> chlorohydroquinone. The mesomorphic properties of copolyesters were examined by birefringence under polarizing microscope, melt transparency. DSC and X-ray diffraction. The minimum molar fraction of mesogenic units needed for the appearance of liquid crystallinity is not higher than 0. 1 despite of the different varieties and lengths of the spacers studied.     

THERMAL ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURE STUDIES ON THE BLENDS OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS AND PET, PBT

The apparent uniform blends of liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters and semiflexible polyesters PET or PBT were obtained by mechanical mixing in the molten state within certain range of composition.The effects of blending with liquid crystalline components on the structure of homopolyester matrix were examined by thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. These results suggest that the LC component in the blend may possibly be acting as a nucleating agent, or it may induce axial orientation of molecules promoting the local ordering of matrix. For the blends of PET, these influences mainly display in narrowing the width of cold crystalline peak and enhancing the main peak of x-ray diffraction; and for the blends of PBT, the pre-melting crystalline peak was enhanced.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MAIN CHAIN AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL COPOLYESTERS WITH X-SHAPED AND ROD-SHAPED MESOGENIC UNITS

A series of main chain liquid crystal aromatic copolyesters with X-shapedand rod-shaped mesogenic units were synthesized via solution condensation polymerizationsof 4, 4'-(α,ω-octanedioyloxy)-dibenzoyl dichlorides with 2,5-bis(p-octanoxy benzoyloxy)-hydroquinone and diphenol. All of the copolyesters showed thermotropic liquid crystallinebehaviors through observations using DSC, polarized microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The melting point (T_m) and the isotropization temperature (T) change regularly withvarying the content of diphenol unit in the copolymers.     

THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS-SOLID STATE POLYMORPHISM

This paper offers some new evidence on the polymorphism of solid state of liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters which were prepared in our laboratory. The effects of different treatment conditions(quenching and annealing) on solid structure have been examined mainly by DSC and X-ray diffraction. The discussion focuses on the supercooled mesophase and low temperature solid-solid transition, the shifting of double melting peaks of annealed samples and the changing of their ΔH data depending on the treatment temperature, time and thermal scanning rate.     

NUCLEATION ACTION OF THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMERS IN THE BLENDS WITH PET

The present work concerns the crystallization of PET accelerated by addition of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCP)based on two aromatic copolyesters: PHB/PET (60:40 ) and PHB/HDA/2,6-DNA /IPA ( 50:25 : 12.5 : 12.5 ). The investigation has been made by measurements of the cold-crystallization and melt-crystallization temperatures by DSC and of the changes of density and depolarizing light intensity during the isothermal process. In addition, the morphology of selectively etched surface of compressing pellets proved the presence of crystalline fibrillar structure, it can be supposed to have grown up from the micelle nucleus based on bundle of rigid TLCP chains.     

SYNTHESIS OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH T-SHAPED TWO-DIMENSIONAL MESOGENIC UNIT AND CROWN ETHER CYCLE

A novel series of liquid crystalline copolyesters with T-shaped two-dimensional mesogenic unit and crown ether cycle of cis-4,4′-bis(4-hydroxyphenylazo)dibenzo-18-crown-6 was prepared via solution condensation polymerization from 4,4′-(α,ω-hexanedioyloxy)dibenzoyl dichloride(M_1),2-(4′-ethoxyphenyl)hydroquinone(M_2)and cis-4,4′-bis(4- hydroxyphenylazo)dibenzo-18-crown-6(M_3).The molecular weights of copolyesters are not high,and the intrinsic viscosity [η]of copolyesters ranges from 0.29-0.43.The monomer...     

SYNTHESIS OF MAIN CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH X-SHAPED TWO-DIMENSIONAL MESOGENIC UNIT AND CROWN ETHER CYCLE

A novel series of main chain liquid crystalline copolyesters with X-shaped two-dimensional mesogenic unit and crown ether cycle of cis-4,4′-bis(4-hydroxyphenylazo) dibenzo-18-crown-6 was prepared via solution condensation polymerization from 4,4′-(α,ω-hexanedioyloxy) dibenzoyl dichloride (M1), 2,5-bis(p-octyloxybenzoyloxy) hydro-quinone (M2) and cis-4,4′-bis(4-hydroxyphenylazo) dibenzo-18-crown-6 (M3). Monomer M1 was synthesized by esterification and substitution of adipoyl chloride with p-hydroxybenzoic acid, monomer M2 was synthesized by esterfication and reduction reaction of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoquinone and p-octanoxybenzoyl chloride and monomer M3 was synthesized by diazotization and coupling reaction of cis-diaminodibenzo-18-crown-6 with phenol. The molecular weights of copolyesters are not high,and the intrinsic viscosity [η] of copolyesters ranges from 0.25-0.35. The monomers' structures were identified by using elemental analysis, IR, UV, 1H-NMR, MS, etc. All the copolyesters are yellowish powders and insoluble in THF and CHCl3 at room temperature except CP9. The properties of copolyesters were investigated by using GPC, [η] , DSC, TG,WAXD and POM. It was found that all the copolyesters entered into liquid crystal phase when they were heated to above their melting temperature (Tm). The typical smectic and nematic phase texture can be observed on POM. Their mesophase transition temperature and thermal stability change regularly with varying the content of cis-4,4′-bis(4-hydroxyphenylazo)dibenzo-18-crown-6 unit in the copolyesters.     

PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF AROMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS

The properties and structures of thermotropical liquid crystalline copolyesters basedon p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), terephthalic acid (TPA) and bisphenol A (BPA) werestudied by DSC, WAXD, hot stage polarized microscopy and NMR. It was found that mostof the copolyesters were soluble in many common organic solvents. The copolyesters hadfow T_m/T_f values and a broad range of liquid crystal phase, making the polymers readilymelt-processable. The effects of annealing at different temperatures on the copolyestercontaining 33% PHBA were also discussed. It was noted that annealing at ca. 200℃(below Tc - n) could lead to the increasing of the crystallinity of the copolyester while themicrostructure and sequence structure had not changed. Annealing at ca.280℃ (nearTc - n) could bring a change of crystal and sequence structure and simultaneously madethe ndcrodomains be ordered more perfectly.     

Synthesis and characterization of fully aromatic thermotropic liquid‐crystalline copolyesters containing m‐hydroxybenzoic acid units

A series of fully aromatic copolyesters based on p‐acetoxybenzoic acid (p‐ABA), hydroquinone diacetate (HQDA), terephthalic acid (TPA), and m‐acetoxybenzoic acid (m‐ABA) were prepared by a modified melt‐polycondensation reaction. The copolyesters were characterized by DSC, thermogravimetric analysis, ¹H NMR, polarized optical microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and intrinsic viscosity measurements. The copolyesters exhibited nematic liquid‐crystalline phases in a broad temperature range of about 150 °C, when the content of linear (p‐ABA, HQDA, and TPA) units was over 67 mol %. DSC analysis of the anisotropic copolyesters revealed broad endotherms associated with the nematic phases, and the melting or flow temperatures were found to be in the processable region. The flow temperatures and crystal‐to‐nematic and nematic‐to‐isotropic transitions depend on the type of linear monomer units, and these transitions increased as the content of the p‐ABA units increased, as compared to the HQDA/TPA units. When the content of the p‐ABA units increased, as compared to other linear units (HQDA and TPA), the intrinsic viscosity and degree of crystallinity of the copolyesters also increased, implying a higher reactivity for p‐ABA in the p‐ABA/HQDA/TPA/m‐ABA polymer system. The aromatic region in the ¹H NMR spectra of the copolyesters containing equal molar compositions of p‐ABA, HQDA, and TPA units were sensitive to the sequence distribution of aromatic rings. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3263–3277, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of potentially biodegradable thermotropic polyesters based on p-hydroxybenzoic acid and glycolic acid

The synthesis of novel thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters derived from aliphatic hydroxy acid (glycolic acid, GA) and aromatic hydroxy acid (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, PHBA) via a melt-copolycondensation process in the presence of various catalysts was explored. The following three possible routes were checked: PHBA and GA in different feed ratios with or without a catalyst; PHBA and GA in different feed ratios with or without a catalyst in the presence of acetic anhydride as a condensation agent; and different PHBA derivatives were used to examine the reactivity of aromatic hydroxy acid. The copolycondensability, chemical structure, liquid crystallinity, textures and morphology, phase transition behaviors and thermal stability, and solubility were investigated by FTIR, NMR, DSC, TGA, and polarized-light microscope. It has been found that only the 60–70 mol % PHBA-containing copolyesters could exhibit a nematic liquid crystallinity. The as-prepared polymers were brittle due to relatively lower molecular weights. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermal Properties and Crystallinity of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyesters Prepared from Poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET) and Rigid Aromatic Units

A series of copolyesters were synthesized by melt‐polycondensation reaction of poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET) with various proportions of equimolar compositions of p‐acetoxybenzoic acid (p‐ABA), hydroquinone diacetate (HQDA) and terephtalic acid (TPA). Viscosity, liquid crystallinity, thermal properties, degree of crystallinity and thermal stabilitiy of these copolyesters were investigated by Ubbelohde viscometer, hot‐stage polarized light microscopy (PLM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. On the basis of viscosity measurement, it was observed that intrinsic viscosity values of the copolyesters are increased regularly with increasing amounts of aromatic units (p‐ABA, HQDA and TPA) in the polymer chain. Thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior was observed in the copolyesters containing over 50 mol% of rigid p‐ABA/HQDA/TPA aromatic units. DSC analysis of the anisotropic copolyesters revealed broad and weak endotherms associated with the nematic phases, and the melting temperatures were found to be in the processable region. As the mol% of PET in the polymer chain increased, the specific enthalpies of fusion and the degree of crystallinity of the copolyesters were also increased regularly.     

NMR studies of the thermal decomposition and branching reactions of aromatic esters

Poly(chlorophydroquinone terephthalate) is an aromatic polyester containing mainly chlorohydroquinone and terephthalate. Thermal stability of this aromatic polyester has been a problem during the processing. In order to characterize the melt reactions of this polyester, the thermal degradation of the model compound chlorohydroquinone dibenzoate was studied. The chlorohydroquinone dibenzoate was characterized by high resolution ¹³C-NMR. All experiments for studyng degradation of chlorohydroquinone dibenzoate were designed to test the following environmental parameters: (1) atmosphere, (2) temperature, (3) time, (4) additives, (5) container material. The analysis of the degradation products were carried out mainly using NMR; in some cases GC/MS and HPLC were also used to aid in separation and identification of the degradation products. The major degradation products produced in various experimental conditions were identified as chlorohydroquinone benzoates, hydroquinone dibenzoate, dichlorohydroquinone dibenzoate, 9-fluorenone, benzoic acid, Fries products, and hydrogen chloride     

Direct synthesis of potentially biodegradable aromatic–aliphatic thermotropic copolyesters with photocrosslinking properties

ABSTRACT

In this study, aromatic–aliphatic thermotropic copolyesters derived from p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA), terephthalic acid and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with different molecular weight (200, 400, 600) were directly synthesised via Vilsmeier adduct solution polymerisation method. The structure, thermal behaviour, liquid crystal property, hydrophylicity and photoactivity were investigated by Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, polarised optical microscopy, water contact angle measurement and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. The PEG incorporation ratio is 0.540–0.691 related to the HCA units, because of its low reactivity. And, the copolyesters have relatively low melting temperatures (96–107°C) and good hydrophylicity (water contact angle value 61.2–75.3°) as compared with wholly aromatic thermotropic copolyester. All of the copolyesters exhibited nematic liquid crystal behaviour and the stable mesophase temperature range was more than 60°C after being melted. The resulted copolyesters had enough thermal stability for melt processing without any degradation. The UV absorption intensities decreased with increased irradiation time, indicating that photocrosslinking occurred.     

Block copolyesters of poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) and poly(tetramethylene adipate)

Hydroxy‐terminated poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomers with different molecular weights were prepared. The poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomers showed rather high crystallinity, and some of them exhibited a monotropic smectic phase. Block copolyesters with hard segments of poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) and soft segments of poly(tetramethylene adipate) were prepared by coupling the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer and a poly(tetramethylene adipate)glycol with methylene‐4,4′‐diphenylene diisocyanate in solution. The block copolyesters were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, a polarized microscope, and X‐ray diffraction. The thermal transitions of the block copolyesters were dependent on the composition and the molecular weight of the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer used. The hard segments in the block copolyesters showed no liquid crystallinity and exhibited rather low crystallinity or were even amorphous. The molecular weight of the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer used influences the glass‐transition temperature and crystalline properties of the soft segments in the block copolyesters significantly. The effect on the glass‐transition temperature of the soft segments is described as the difference in miscibility between the hard and soft segments. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2626–2636, 2002     

对苯二甲酰类全芳族聚酯结构与性能的研究

本文以对苯二甲酰氯分别和五种二元酚单体,对苯二酚(HQ)、邻氯对苯二酚(CHQ)、联苯二酚(BP)、双酚A(BPA)、4,4′-二羟基二苯基甲烷(BPM)进行溶液缩聚,制备了一系列全芳族均聚酯和共聚酯,作了各种性能表征。考虑了单苯二酚和双苯二酚单体对聚合物的熔融温度、热分解温度、相变热效应、溶解性、液晶态及织态结构、液晶相范围和光学行为等影响,并讨论了二酚单体作为致介单元的分子结构条件,得到HQ、CHQ和BP为致介单体,BPA和BPA为非致介单体的结论。