SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF β-DIKETONE BASED SIDE CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYSILOXANES

A new type of β-diketone based side chain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes (DKLCP) with different length of flexible spacers and end groups have been synthesized by hydrosilation reaction. This is liquid crystal polymers (LCP) using coordinating β-diketone ligand as mesogens. The phase behaviour of DKLCP polymers was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing microscopy. X-ray diffraction investigations demonstrated that the polysiloxanes with sufficiently long flexible spacers were smectic liquid crystal polymers, while those with much shorter spacers were nematic ones.     

Photochemical phase transition behaviour of polymer azobenzene liquid crystals with flexible siloxane units as a side-chain spacer

The influence of the spacer structure on the photochemical phase transition behaviour was explored for azobenzene polymer liquid crystals (azo-PLCs) possessing siloxane spacers in the polymer side chain, and for analogue without the siloxane spacer. The photochemical phase transition of the azo-PLC with the siloxane spacer was found to proceed less effectively than that of the azo-PLC without the siloxane spacer. It was also confirmed that the spacer structure does not affect the trans-cis photoisomerization behaviour of the azobenzene moieties. These results were interpreted in terms of stabilization of the alignment of the mesogens in the liquid crystalline phase by the siloxane spacer, since the siloxane chain is one of the most flexible spacers and decouples the motion of the polymer backbone from that of the aligned mesogens. Furthermore, the response of the azo-PLCs in the photochemical phase transition was evaluated by means of a laser pulse. The phase transition occurred in 300 mus for both samples.     

含X-型和棒型两种液晶基元的主链型系列芳族共聚酯的研究

采用含X-型和棒型液晶基元的两种不同单体,通过改变X-型液晶基元单体的结构和柔性链段长度,经高温溶液缩聚,合成了一系列主链型共聚液晶高分子.研究发现,所有样品都具有很好的热致液晶性及宽广的液晶态温度范围.随单体结构改变,共聚物的相转变温度大致呈规律性变化.     

含X-型和棒型两种液晶基元的主链型系列芳族共聚酯的研究

 采用含X-型和棒型液晶基元的两种不同单体,通过改变X-型液晶基元单体的结构和柔性链段长度,经高温溶液缩聚,合成了一系列主链型共聚液晶高分子.研究发现,所有样品都具有很好的热致液晶性及宽广的液晶态温度范围.随单体结构改变,共聚物的相转变温度大致呈规律性变化.     

Liquid‐crystalline thermosets from liquid‐crystalline epoxy resins containing bisazomethinebiphenylene mesogens in the central core: Copolymerization with a nonmesomorphic epoxy resin

A new series of liquid‐crystalline epoxy resins was synthesized, and their mesomorphic behavior was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering. These glycidylic compounds had central aromatic imine mesogens derived from benzidine and aliphatic spacers of up to 10 methylene units that linked the mesogens to the glycidylic groups. Crosslinking these monomers with primary aromatic diamines led to nematic networks, some of which contained crystal inclusions. However, through curing with tertiary amines as catalytic agents or through copolymerization with different proportions of the nonmesomorphic epoxy monomer and primary amines as crosslinking agents, smectic C organized thermosets were prepared when the spacers had at least four methylene carbons. When they had fewer than four, the networks were nematic. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3631–3643, 2004     

Liquid crystal polymers—VI.: Synthesis and properties of main chain thermotropic polyesters with disiloxane spacers

New thermotropic, liquid crystalline polymers were synthesized, and their thermal properties and the characteristics of their mesophases were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, by use of a hot stage on a polarizing microscope, and by small-angle light scattering. The polymers had an aromatic ester triad mesogenic group and a flexible siloxane spacer in the main chain. Equimolar copolymers containing both siloxane and decamethylene spacers were also prepared and characterized. All the polymers formed nematic phases, and the thermodynamic characteristics of their nematic-to-isotropic phase transitions could be explained on the basis of their structural features.     

Conformational transitions in macromolecules of complex chemical structure during liquid crystalline ordering

Conformational transitions in thermotropic main-chain polymers of complex chemical structure including homopolymers with possibility of conformational transformations in mesogens and random copolymers (CPLs) containing mesogens of the same type and spacers of different lengths were investigated. It was demonstrated that liquid crystalline (LC) state influences conformational transformations in fragments of chain restraining them in comparison with an isotropic melt. It was found that CPLs studied form LC order of smectic type. Peculiarities in spacers behaviour during transition to LC state ensure formation of such type of LC order. Conclusion about dependence of mechanism of smectic LC order formation on chemical structure of rigid components of CPLs is made.     

Liquid crystalline epoxy resins by polyaddition of diglycidyl ether of 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl and difunctional aromatic compounds

This work is a continuation of the authors' earlier investigations of liquid crystalline epoxy resins prepared from diglycidyl ether of 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl (DGE-DHBP), which was used as a mesogenic agent, and aliphatic dicarboxylic compounds, which were used as flexible spacers. In this paper, the synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline epoxy resins, prepared from DGE-DHBP and difunctional aromatic compounds are described. Three series of liquid crystalline epoxy resins were prepared by chain extension of DGE-DHBP with isomeric hydroxybenzoic and benzenedicarboxylic acids as well as diphenols. An isophthalic-terminated polyether was applied to decrease the temperature of phase transitions. The syntheses were carried out by catalytic polyaddition in the melt. Triphenylphosphine was applied as the catalyst. The resulting epoxy resins were investigated by DSC, polarizing microscope as well as by X-ray and IR spectroscopy. The phase transition temperatures and the type of mesophase of the resulting products depend on the character of the functional groups in the chain extender and on the position of the functional groups in the aromatic ring. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 21–29, 1998     

New liquid‐crystalline thermosets from liquid‐crystalline bisazomethynic epoxy resins with naphthylene disruptors in the central core

We synthesized novel epoxy‐terminated monomers on the basis of imine groups with spacers of different lengths between mesogens and reactive groups and examined their mesogenic properties. Their reaction with primary aromatic diamines and tertiary amines was carried out to investigate the formation of liquid‐crystalline thermosets. We explored how the curing conditions and the structures of the monomers and amines affected the formation of ordered networks. The special symmetry of a 1,5‐disubstituted naphthalene unit in the central core led to nematic mesophases in the pure liquid‐crystalline epoxy resins, and thermosets with locked nematic textures were obtained in all cases, regardless of the length of the spacer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1536–1544, 2003     

Synthesis of new thermotropic liquid crystalline polyurethanes containing biphenyl mesogens using a novel AB-type self-polycondensation

A series of thermotropic main chain liquid crystalline polyurethanes containing biphenyl mesogens and flexible methylene spacers were synthesized using the novel AB-type self-polycondensation approach for the first time.     

STATISTICS OF A NOVEL CLASS OF LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMERS

A novel class of the liquid crystal polymers with mesogens laterally attached to flexible main chain backbones has been synthesized recently by us. While the flexible backbones tend to take configuration of maximum entropy the mesogenic side groups tend to orientate because of the anisotropie soft dispersion forces. A mean field theory is presented to describe the competition between these two trends which makes it possible for this class of polymers to show anisotropic (liquid crystal) phase within certain temperature range where the polymer main chains and the side chain mesogens will take approximately parallel arrangement, which is different from the normal side chain liquid crystal polymers. The temperature range of the liquid crystal phase, its ordering and phase transition all depend on the flexibility of the backbone, the strengthof the anisotropic forces of the side groups and the hinge elasticity. The results show that the liquid crystalisotropic phase transition is of the first order. The phase diagram, i. e. the dependence of the transition temperature on the structure of the polymers is also given.     

MOLECULAR FIELD THEORY FOR NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMER COMPRISING FLEXIBLE SPACER

Basea on the new model and concept of mtramolecular orientational order parameter, a molecular field theory was built up for main chain liquid crystalline polymer (MC-LCPs) with flexible spacers. The theory takes account of orientational correlation among all mesogens in a polymer chain and the relationship between the intramolecular orientation and spatial orientation of the mesogens. The free energy, temperature and entropy of the nematic-isotropic transition were determined with the theory and compared with experiments in current work. It was found that many unique transition properties of the MC-LCPs comprising flexible spacer are correctly predicted by the theory and the agreement of the theory with the experiments is impressive.     

The synthesis of mesogenic polymers provoked by molecular mobility. polysiloxanarylenes

An approach to the synthesis of potentially thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers based on parallel investigation of their molecular mobility was realized. The initial idea was provoked by the observation that there exists some correspondence of molecular mobility data and the ability of a polymer to form a liquid crystalline phase. Previously this phenomenon was demonstrated on the example of a series of thermotropic main chain polymers with flexible dimethylsiloxane spacers of variable length. The relation between the structure of the main chain and local molecular mobility of different fragments was investigated in a series of regular polysiloxane-silarylenes containing rigid aromatic sequences. Molecular mobility was studied by dielectric spectroscopy in solution and in solid state. The structure of the main chain has been changed by variation of the repeated fragments' length, substituents and joint groups. The data of molecular mobility and their conformity with the chain structure were used for directed synthetic search of desired mesogenic polymers.     

Biosynthesis of Liquid Crystalline Azo‐Polyesters

Main‐chain thermotropic liquid‐crystalline aromatic azobenzene polyesters containing rigid 4,4′‐dihydroxyazobenzene mesogens and flexible spacers with varying lengths were synthesized using a chemo‐enzymatic method. The enzyme‐catalyzed approach is based on immobilized candida antarctica lipase B. The resulting polyesters were characterized by ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized light optical microscopy (POM).     

Thermal properties of non-symmetric bibenzoate liquid crystalline dimers

The liquid crystal behaviour of a family of non-symmetric liquid crystalline dimers is reported. These systems contain two bibenzoate rigid units that are linked to distinct terminal groups at one end, and to a flexible interconnecting spacer at the other. Several systems having different terminal and central chains are studied using calorimetric, microscopic and diffraction techniques. All the samples form phases with variable degrees of order (from low ordered smectic to crystalline phases) depending on the chemical constitution of the different segments. The influence of the length, parity and lateral substitution of the spacers on the transitional properties and the symmetry of the mesophases that are formed is analysed. It is found that a decrease in the transition temperatures and enthalpies occurs when the length of the flexible spacers increases, when lateral methyl substituents are introduced, or when the parity of the central spacer changes from an even to odd number of carbon atoms or ether groups. The arrangement of the mesogens and dissimilar flexible groups within the ordered structure is discussed with respect to the observed L/d ratios. Different values were obtained depending on the parity of the central spacer and on the degree of order. Interpenetrated structures, in which the flexible groups of different lengths are mixed, seem to be compatible with low ordered smectic phases, but sterically disfavoured when constructing crystalline phases.     

THE EFFECT OF SUBSTITUENT ON THE THERMAL PROPERTIES OF POLYESTERS CONSISTING OF AROMATIC TYPE SCHIFF BASE MESOGENIC UNITS AND POLYMETHYLENE SPACERS

Polyesters consisting of substituted aromatic type Schiff base mesogenic unit andpolymethylene spacers were synthesized and their thermal transitions and liquid crystallineproperties were studied. The liquid crystalline behaviour has been characterized by differentialscanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical polarizing microscopy. Structural broadening bysubstitution of methoxy group in 2, 2" positions of the mesogenic core produce polymers withlower transition temperatures. Polymers synthesized from ortho and meta substituted phenylenediamine did not form a liquid crystal phase.     

Synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes containing oligooxyethylene spacers and benzyl ether based mesogenic groups

The synthesis of side-chain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes containing oligooxyethylene spacers and 4-methoxyphenyl benzyl ether and 6-cyano-2-naphthyl benzyl ether based mesogenic groups is presented. The phase behavior of both monomeric and polymeric liquid crystals was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarized microscopy. All synthesized polysiloxanes present smectic mesomorphism. The insertion of oxygen atoms into the flexible aliphatic spacers leads to decrease in both glass transition and isotropization temperatures of the resulting side-chain liquid crystalline polymers.     

Synthesis of novel liquid crystal compounds with aromatic amide mesogenic cores

The synthesis and properties of a new series of compounds having aromatic amide mesogenic cores are reported. Most of these new compounds are thermotropic mesogens. In consideration of the fact that aromatic amides form crystals of high melting point which is unfavourable for the formation of thermotropic liquid crystals, we make use of lateral substitution to decrease both the packing efficiency and the hydrogen bonding, so that the melting temperature of the aromatic amides is sufficiently depressed. The lateral substituent used in these new compounds is bromine. In order to investigate the influence on properties of the end groups, different alkoxy, alkyl and other groups are used at the two ends of the rod-like molecules. The two ends are either identical or different, with an electron-donating alkoxy as one end and the electron-accepting cyano group as the other. The results indicate that appropriate lateral and terminal substitution is essential for the aromatic amides to form thermotropic liquid crystals. The peculiar mesophase characterized by an X-ray diffraction pattern of a SmC phase, but a texture of a nematic phase is also noted.     

Coexistence of nematic and chiral nematic phases of an achiral liquid crystal trimer possessing an octafluorobiphenyl unit

We prepared some achiral flexible liquid crystal oligomers possessing an octafluorobiphenyl unit and investigated their phase transition properties using polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. All the compounds showed nematic phases. The trimer with even-numbered spacers was found to exhibit coexistence of the nematic regions and the chiral nematic regions with opposite twist senses of a sample contained in a homogeneous aligned cell during a cooling process, whilst that with odd-numbered spacers did not. We discuss how the even-numbered trimer produces the helical state.     

Liquid crystal behaviour of linear copolymers—I

The molar volumes of some mesophasic linear homo- and copolymers have been measured as a function of temperature. Both the liquid crystal phase (nematic) and the isotropic liquid have been examined. The polymer chain is characterized by an alternating sequence of rigid groups and flexible spacers. The molar volumes measured for the liquid crystal phase give evidence for a substantially disordered conformation taken by the flexible spacers in the nematic phase. Analogies between homo- and copolymers are discussed.