Synthesis and characterization of novel thermotropic liquid crystalline copoly(ester imide)s

Novel liquid crystalline copoly(ester imide)s were synthesized via polyesterification of triethyleneglycol bis(4-carboxyphenyl) ether ( 1e ), diacetoxybiphenyl, and diacids with imide moieties. The effects of composition on the changes of T_g, T_m, and T_i were examined by global TSC and DSC. Thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) found that 4a–d and 5a–g possess higher thermal stability. Strong stir opalescence phenomenon and observations from polarized optical microscopy identified that 2b–e and 3a–d possess the typical schlieren texture of an enantiotropic nematic mesophase. The birefrigent melts of 4a–d and 5a–g, however, displayed particular liquid crystalline behavior. Copolymers with higher aromatic imide ring content ( 4a–d, 5a–g ) form a layered structure and an enantiotropic smectic mesophase in the melting state. The melt viscosity of the semetic mesophase was higher than the nematic mesophase which was observed by capillary rheometer. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1791–1803, 1998     

Fully aromatic liquid crystalline homopolyesters and copolyesters of 1,1′-binaphthyl-4,4′-diol

A series of fully aromatic, thermotropic polyesters based on 1,1′-binaphthyl-4,4′-diol, BND, was prepared by the melt polycondensation method and characterized for their thermotropic behavior by a variety of experimental techniques. The homopolymer of BND with terephthalic acid formed a nematic melt at 353°C. In contrast, the polyester from BND and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid had a melting transition, T_m, above 400°C, so it was not possible with the equipment available to determine whether it formed a nematic melt. All of the copolymers of BND formed nematic melts at much lower T_m values than those of its respective homopolymers, as expected, because of the copolymerization effect of the added monomer. Moreover, all of the copolymers had higher glass transition temperatures, T_g, than those of other liquid crystalline polyesters and higher thermal stabilities. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of mesogen‐jacketed liquid‐crystal polymers based on 2,5‐bis(4′‐alkoxyphenyl)styrene

A series of novel mesogen‐jacketed liquid‐crystal polymers, poly[2,5‐bis(4′‐alkoxyphenyl)‐styrene] (P‐n, n = 1–11), were prepared via free‐radical polymerization of newly synthesized monomers, 2,5‐bis(4′‐alkoxyphenyl)styrene (M‐n, n = 1–11). The influence of the alkoxy tail length on the liquid‐crystalline behaviors of the monomers and the polymers was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The monomers with n = 1–4, 9, and 11 were monotropic nematic liquid crystals. All other monomers exhibited enantiotropic nematic properties. Their melting points (T_m's) decreased first as n increased to 6, after which T_m increased slightly at longer spacer lengths. The isotropic–nematic transition temperatures decreased regularly with increasing n values in an odd–even way. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of the polymers first decreased as the tail lengths increased and then leveled off when n ≥ 7. All polymers were thermally stable and entered the mesophase at a temperature above T_g. Upon further heating, no mesophase‐to‐isotropic melt transition was observed before the polymers decomposed. WAXD studies indicated that an irreversible order–order transition for the polymers with short tails (n ≤ 5) and a reversible order–order transition for those with elongated tails (n ≥ 6) occurred at a temperature much higher than T_g. However, such a transition could not be identified by POM and could be detected by DSC only on heating scans for the polymers with long tails (n ≥ 7). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1454–1464, 2003     

Synthesis and characterization of side-chain cholesteric elastomers derived from an isosorbide crosslinking agent

New liquid crystalline monomer 4-(4-ethoxybenzoyloxy)biphenyl-4′-[(10-undecylen-1-yloxy)-4′-ethoxy]benzoate (M ₁ ), chiral crosslinking agent isosorbide di-(10-undecylen-1-yloxybenzoate) (M ₂ ), and the corresponding elastomers were prepared. The chemical structures of M ₁ and M ₂ were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance. The mesomorphic properties and phase behavior were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. M ₁ exhibited typical threaded texture and droplet texture of nematic phase. The use of chiral crosslinking agent in the polymer networks could induce cholesteric phase. The elastomers containing less than 10 mol% of the chiral crosslinking units showed elasticity, reversible phase transition, wide mesophase temperature ranges, and high thermal stability. For the elastomers P ₂ –P ₄ , the glass transition temperature (T _g) increased; clearing temperature (T _i) and mesophase temperature range (ΔT) decreased with increasing content of the crosslinking unit.     

Kinetics of mesophase formation and crystallization in poly(diethylsiloxane)

Optical and calorimetric studies of the kinetics of mesophase formation and crystallization in poly(diethylsiloxane) have been conducted. The mesomorphic phase is found to grow from the isotropic melt in the form of lamellar domains about 2 μm thick in the temperature range 293–307 K. According to birefringence data, macromolecules in the mesomorphic lamellae are perpendicular to the end faces. The kinetics of mesophase formation obey the Avrami equation with the morphological parameter n close to 2 (it is equal to 1.75 ± 0.05), which corresponds to the two-dimensional growth of the mesomorphic phase from athermal nuclei. The limiting conversion of the isotropic melt was shown to be temperature-dependent. This is likely to be connected with a change in the number of nuclei with temperature. The crystallization of polymer from the mesomorphic state occurs with retention of the optical texture of the sample. The process proceeds not as a sporadic crystallization of individual mesomorphic lamellae but as a growth of the nucleated crystalline regions via a consecutive incorporation of adjacent crystallizing lamellae.     

Thermotropic copolyesters having ordered comonomer sequences and flexible spacers

A series of new copolyesters having ordered comonomer sequences were synthesized via multistep routes and their properties such as glass transition (T_g) and melting temperatures (T_m), crystallization tendency, and mesomorphic properties were compared with those of the corresponding random copolyesters. All of the present copolyesters contain 1,8-octamethylene or 1,10-decamethylene spacers and hydroquinone (HQ) and terephthalic acid (TPA) moieties. In general, both melting and clearing temperatures of the ordered sequence copolyesters were much higher than those of the random counterparts. Crystallization tendency, however, was comparable. All of the present copolyesters are thermotropic and form nematic phase in melts. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fully aromatic thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters of substituted 4,4′-biphenols. IV. Homopolyesters with terephthalic acid and copolyesters with terephthalic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid

A series of fully aromatic thermotropic polyesters based on mono-, di-, and tetra-substituted biphenols was prepared by the melt polycondensation method and examined for their thermotropic behavior by a variety of experimental techniques. The homopolyesters obtained from substituted biphenols containing either one phenyl or two phenyl groups as substituent(s) and TA formed nematic melts, but the homopolymers of the substituted biphenols containing either four sec-butyl groups or two tert-butyl groups with TA had melting transitions, T_m, above 400°C. Thus, it was not possible to determine whether they formed nematic melts. On copolymerization with 30 mol % HBA most of the resulting copolyesters had much lower T_m values, compared to those of respective homopolyesters, and the copolymers of the biphenol monomer containing the tert-butyl groups formed a nematic melt at an observable temperature. However, the copolymer of the biphenol with sec-butyl groups still had a T_m above 400°C. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Coaxial-electrospinning as a new method to study confined crystallization of polymer

Coaxial-electrospinning (ES) was used as a new method to fabricate one-dimensional (1D) confinements for studying confined crystallization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). A series of core–sheath ultrafine fibers with PEG as the core and cellulose acetate as the sheath were obtained by coaxial ES. It was found that the uniform core–sheath ultrafine fibers could be fabricated and a (1D) confinement environment, a nanotube with a diameter from 68 to 860 nm, could be obtained by coaxial-ES. When the confinement dimension decreased to be smaller than 120 nm in diameter, the melt temperature (T_m), the crystallization temperature (T_c), the crystallinity (X_m), and the crystal sizes of the PEG were much smaller than those of bulk PEG and when the nanotube was larger than 200 nm in diameter, the T_m, T_c, X_m, and the crystallite sizes of the PEG were close to those of bulk PEG, which suggested that the crystallization of the PEG was influenced by the confinement dimension. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Synthesis and properties of side-chain liquid crystalline polymers grafted with chiral dimers containing cholesteryl groups

ABSTRACT

Two series of novel side-chain liquid crystal (LC) polysiloxanes grafted with chiral liquid crystalline dimers containing cholesteryl mesogens were synthesised. The chemical structure and LC properties of comonomers and polymers were characterised by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, DSC, TGA, POM and XRD. M₁ and M₂ were chiral nematic (N*) dimers, and M₃ was an achiral LC monomer displaying nematic mesophase in a narrow mesomorphic temperature range, while the copolymers exhibited N* mesophase whose mesomorphic temperature ranges were much wider than those of the comonomers. Moreover, the glass transition temperatures and isotropization temperatures of the polymers all decreased with decreasing the dimer components. Reflection spectra showed that P_a series tend to attain wide-band selective reflection at long wavelengths, while P_b series were more potential at short wavelengths with narrow bandwidths. Decreasing the dimer components led the wavelength of the selective reflection to blue shift, which was an abnormal phenomenon in chiral mixture system.     

Mesomorphic properties of side-chain cholesteric liquid-crystalline elastomers

New monomer cholesteryl 4-(10-undecylen-1-yloxybenzoyloxy)-4′-ethoxybenzoate (M₁), crosslinking agent biphenyl 4,4′-bis(10-undecylen-1-yloxybenzoyloxy-p-ethoxybenzoate) (M₂) and a series of side-chain cholesteric elastomers were prepared. The chemical structures of the monomers and elastomers obtained were confirmed by element analyses, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR. The mesomorphic properties and thermal stability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. The influence of the content of the crosslinking unit on the phase behavior of the elastomers was examined. M ₁ showed cholesteric phase, and M ₂ displayed nematic phase. The elastomers containing less than 12 mol% of the crosslinking units revealed reversible mesomorphic phase transition, wide mesophase temperature ranges, and high thermal stability.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline elastomers bearing fluorinated mesogenic units and crosslinking mesogens

Several new side‐chain liquid crystalline (LC) polysiloxanes and elastomers ( IP ‐ VIP ) bearing fluorinated mesogenic units and crosslinking mesogens were synthesized by a one‐step hydrosilylation reaction with poly(methylhydrogeno)siloxane, a fluorine‐containing LC monomer 4′‐undec‐10‐enoyloxy‐biphenyl‐4‐yl 4‐fluoro‐benzoate and a crosslinking LC monomer 4′‐(4‐allyloxy‐benzoxy)‐biphenyl‐4‐yl 4‐allyloxy‐benzoate. The chemical structures and LC properties of the monomers and polymers were characterized by use of various experimental techniques such as FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, EA, TGA, DSC, POM and XRD. The effect of crosslinking mesogens on mesomorphic properties of the fluorinated LC polymers was studied as well. The obtained polymers and elastomers were soluble in many solvents such as toluene, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and so forth. The temperatures at which 5% weight loss occurred (T_d) were greater than 250°C for all the polymers, and the weight of residue near 600°C increased slightly with increase of the crosslinking mesogens in the fluorinated polymer systems. The samples IP , IIP , IIIP and IVP showed both smectic A and nematic phases when they were heated and cooled, but VP and VIP exhibited only a nematic mesophase. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of polymers increased slightly with increase of crosslinking mesogens in the polymer systems, but the mesophase–isotropic phase transition temperature (T_i) and smectic A–nematic mesophase transition temperature (T_S‐N) decreased slightly. It suggests that the temperature range of the mesophase became narrow with the increase of crosslinking mesogens for all the fluorinated polymers and elastomers. In XRD curves, the intensity of sharp reflections at low angle decreased with increase of crosslinking mesogens in the fluorinated polymers systems, indicating that the smectic order derived from fluorinated mesogenic units should be destroyed by introduction of more crosslinking mesogens. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of Nematic Mesomorphism. Compounds with Disclike Molecules

Molecular parameters for 136 compounds with disclike molecules and known phase diagrams were calculated and analyzed by a procedure proposed previously in order to improve the method for predicting possible types of mesomorphism from molecular characteristics. A correlation between the value of the molecular parameter M _m and the existence of a nematic liquid crystal is established. An analysis of calculated values of M _m for 27 new molecules of similar structure yielded compounds that are likely to form nematic liquid crystals. To verify the prediction, one of these compounds — 1,3,5cyclohexanebenzoatebenzene — was synthesized and its phase diagram was studied. The prediction results agree with experimental data: the range of existence of a nematic mesophase was established (130.5–134.5°). Rapid cooling followed by prolonged storage of samples at room temperature without mechanical deformation led to vitrification of the samples ith preserved mesophase texture. Mechanical deformation of vitrified samples resulted in their transition to the crystal phase.     

Study of phase transitions in 4-n-alkoxybenzilidene-4′-n-alkylanilines by one and two dimensional 13C NMR

Abstract

The phase transition of a series of homologous liquid-crystalline compounds, nO.m (4-n-alkoxybenzilidene-4′-n-alkylanilines), from the nematic phase to the smectic A phase has been studied by ¹³C NMR. The order parameters, determined by a two dimensional technique called separated local field spectroscopy combined with off-magic angle spinning, of different molecular segments of these compounds are related linearly to the ¹³C chemical shifts. Changes in the order parameters of the phenyl rings as well as those of the chains during the S_A–N transition depend on the nature of the phase transition. These changes are quantitatively related to the McMillan ratio, which is defined as the ratio between the S_A–N transition temperature (T _SAN) and the nematic to isotropic transition temperature (T _NI), i.e. M = T _SAN/T _NI. The S_A–N transition is first order for M > M _TCP, and second order for M < M _TCP, where TCP is the tricritical point. The value of M _TCP was found to be 0·958 ± 0·004, in excellent agreement with that obtained from spin probe studies (0·959 ± 0·005) reported by Freed and co-workers [1].     

Crystallization kinetics of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimide derived from 1,3-bis[4-(4′-aminophenoxy) cumyl] benzene

We have studied the nonisothermal and isothermal crystallization kinetics of an aromatic thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimide synthesized from 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PMDA) and 1,3-bis[4-(4′-aminophenoxy) cumyl] benzene (BACB) by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Polarized light microscopy (PLM) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results confirm that this polyimide exhibits a smectic texture. Nonisothermal crystallization showed two strong and one weak exothermic peaks during cooling. The phase transition from isotropic melt to liquid crystalline state is extremely fast which completes in several seconds. The mesophase transition has a small Avrami parameter, n, of approximate 1. The isothermal crystallization of 253–258°C has been examined. The average value n is about 2.6 and the temperature-dependent rate constant k changes about two orders of magnitude in the crystallization temperature range of 6°C. The slope of ln k versus 1/(T_cΔT) is calculated to be −2.4 × 10⁵, which suggests nucleation control, via primary and/or secondary nucleation for the crystallization process. During the annealing process, a new phase (slow transition) is induced, which grows gradually with annealing time. At lower annealing temperatures (220–230°C), the slow transition process seems not to be influenced by the crystals formed during cooling process and its Avrami parameter n is ca. 0.3–0.4. However, the slow transition was hindered by the crystals formed during cooling process when annealed at higher temperature (230–240°C). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1679–1694, 1998     

Consequences of the ‘jacketed’ effect on mesomorphic and orientational properties of ‘side-on fixed’ liquid crystalline polymers

Abstract

The mesomorphic properties have been studied as a function of the degree of polymerization for certain ‘side-on fixed’ polyacrylates. A peculiar evolution of the clearing temperature, T _IN, as well as of the glass transition temperatures, T _g, revealed that beyond a certain backbone length, T _IN and T _g decrease as the main chain length increases. The nematic ‘jacketed’ structure of these polymers induces a more or less high anisotropy of the polymer backbone conformation in the nematic phase and this can counterbalance the usual effect of an increase in the degree of polymerization on the thermodynamical properties of these systems. This evolution allows us to explain the unusual diamagnetic anisotropy anomaly observed as a function of temperature for this type of polymer.     

Side-chain cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomers derived from a mesogenic crosslinking agent: I. Synthesis and mesomorphic properties

The synthesis of new side-chain cholesteric elastomers derived from a cholesteric monomer and mesogenic crosslinking agent is presented. The chemical structures of the monomers obtained were confirmed by elemental analyses, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The mesomorphic properties and thermal stability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. M₁ showed cholesteric phase, and M₂ displayed enantiotropic nematic phase and monotropic smectic phase. The elastomers containing less than 12 mol% of the crosslinking units revealed reversible mesomorphic phase transition, wide mesophase temperature ranges, and high thermal stability.     

Kinetics of phase transition and thermal stability in Se80?x Te20Zn x (x?=?2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) glasses

Se_80?x Te₂₀Zn _x (x?=?2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) glasses have been prepared using conventional melt quenching technique. The kinetics of phase transformations (glass transition and crystallization) have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal condition at five different heating rates in these glasses. The activation energy of glass transition (E _t), activation energy of crystallization (E _c), Avrami exponent (n), dimensionality of growth (m), and frequency factor (K _o) have been investigated for the better understanding of growth mechanism using different theoretical models. The activation energy is found to be highly dependent on Zn concentration. The rate of crystallization is found to be lowest for Se₇₀Te₂₀Zn₁₀ glassy alloy. The thermal stability of these glasses has been investigated using various stability parameters. The values of these parameters were obtained using characteristic temperatures, such as glass transition temperature T _g, onset crystallization temperature T _c, and peak crystallization temperature T _p. In addition to this, enthalpy-released during crystallization has also been determined. The values of stability parameters show that the thermal stability increases with the increase in Zn concentration in the investigated glassy samples.     

Preparation and phase behavior of side‐chain cholesteric liquid‐crystalline elastomers

A series of new side‐chain cholesteric elastomers derived from cholesteryl 4‐(10‐undecylen‐1‐yloxy)‐4′‐ethoxybenzoate and phenyl 4,4′‐bis(10‐undecylen‐1‐yloxybenzoyloxy‐p‐ethoxybenzoate) was synthesized. The chemical structures of the monomers were confirmed by elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared, and ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. The mesomorphic properties of elastomers were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction measurements. The influence of the content of the crosslinking unit on the phase behavior of the elastomers was examined. Monomer M₁ showed a cholesteric phase, and M₂ displayed smectic and nematic phases. The elastomers containing <15 mol % of the crosslinking units revealed reversible mesomorphic phase transition, wide mesophase temperature ranges, and high thermal stability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3315–3323, 2005     

高分子液晶态有序性对其结晶过程的影响

采用退偏振光强度法、ＳＡＬＳ和ＰＯＭ测定了高分子液晶态有序微区结构随体系温度变化的规律,并用ＤＳＣ法研究具有不同有序微区结构尺寸的液晶态的结晶过程．结果发现,高分子液晶态有序性或有序微区结构是随着体系退火温度和时间的变化而变化．同时从相应的不同有序性为起始态进行结晶时,其结晶速率明显不同．并讨论了高分子液晶态的结晶机理     

Synthesis and characterization of hydrogen‐bonded thermotropic liquid crystalline aromatic‐aliphatic poly(ester–amide)s from amido diol

Fifteen highly regular hydrogen‐bonded, novel thermotropic, aromatic‐aliphatic poly(ester–amide)s (PEAs) were synthesized from aliphatic amido diols by melt polycondensation with dimethyl terephthalate and solution polycondensation with terephthaloyl chloride. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds more or less perpendicular to the main‐chain direction induce the formation and stabilization of liquid crystalline property for these PEAs. The structure of these polymers, even in the mesomorphic phase is dominated by hydrogen bonds between the amide–amide and amide–ester groups in adjacent chains. Aliphatic amido diols were synthesized by the aminolysis of γ‐butyrolactone, δ‐valerolactone and ε‐caprolactone with aliphatic diamines containing a number of methylene groups from two to six in isopropanol medium at room temperature. Effects of polarity of the solvent on solution polymerization and effect of catalyst on trans esterification were studied. These polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, solubility studies, inherent viscosity, DSC, X‐ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, and TGA. All the melt/solution polycondensed PEAs showed multiple‐phase transitions on heating with second transitions identified as nematic/smectic/spherullitic texture. The mesomorphic properties were studied as a function of their chemical structure by changing alternatively m or n. Odd‐even effect on mesophase transition temperature, isotropization temperature, and crystallinity were studied. The effect of molecular weight and polydispersity on mesophase/isotropization temperature and thermal stability were investigated. It was observed that there exists a competition for crystallinity and liquid crystallinity in these PEAs © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2469–2486, 2000