Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers with low thermal transitions. II. Low melting thermotropic liquid crystalline homo- and co-polyesters

Thermotropic liquid crystalline (TLC) polymers with low melt transitions are useful for imaging technologies. This is the first report describing thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters of low melt transitions comprised of a mesogen with up to three different spacer moieties. We have noted that the smectic mesophase range decreased with increasing amounts of different spacer moieties, without altering the isotropic transition and thereby leading to a broader nematic range. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF NEW MESOGEN-JACKETED LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS*

Some new mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymers (MJLCP) with polymer backbones, spacers, andmesogenic units of different structures were synthesized by radical polymerization. The mesomorphic behavior of thesepolymers was examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). Theirliquid crystallinity is influenced by the variation of polymer backbone, spacer, mesogenic unit and its terminal groups. Theresults show that 1) a more flexible polymer main-chain is more favorable to the formation of a liquid crystal phase, while 2)a flexible spacer will decrease the "Jacket Effect" and the liquid crystallinity and 3) a subtle modification of the terminalgroups on the mesogenic unit may also have a significant influence on properties of the polymers.     

Tailoring the liquid crystalline property via controlling the generation of dendronized polymers containing azobenzene mesogen

The first‐ and second‐generation dendronized polymers containing azobenzene mesogen were designed and successfully synthesized via free radical polymerization. The chemical structures of the monomers were confirmed by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The molecular characterizations of the polymers were performed with ¹H NMR and gel permeation chromatography. The phase structures and transition behaviors were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, and small‐angle X‐ray scatter experiments. The experiment results revealed that the first‐generation dendronized polymer exhibited liquid crystalline behavior of the conventional side‐chain liquid crystalline polymer with azobenzene mesogen, that is, the polymer exhibited smectic phase structure at lower temperature and nematic phase structure at higher temperature. However, the second‐generation dendronized polymers exhibited more versatile intriguing liquid crystalline structures, namely smectic phase structure at lower temperature and columnar nematic phase structure at higher temperature, and moreover, the phase structure still remained before the decomposition temperature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1149–1159, 2010     

Structure and internal dynamics of a side chain liquid crystalline polymer in various phases by molecular dynamics simulations: a step towards coarse graining

Side chain liquid crystalline polymer with relatively long spacer was modeled on a semiatomistic level and studied in different liquid crystalline phases with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations. Well equilibrated isotropic, polydomain smectic and monodomain smectic phases were studied for their structural and dynamic properties. Particular emphasis was given to the analysis on a coarse-grained level, where backbones, side chains, and mesogens were considered in terms of their equivalent ellipsoids. The authors found that the liquid crystalline phase had a minor influence on the metrics of these objects but affected essentially their translational and orientational order. In the monodomain smectic phase, mesogens, backbones, and side chains are confined spatially. Their diffusion and shape dynamics are frozen along the mesogen director (the one-dimensional solidification) and the reorientation times increase by one to one-and-half orders of magnitude. In this phase, besides obvious orientational order of mesogens and side chains, a stable detectable order of the backbones was also observed. The backbone director is confined in the plane perpendicular to the mesogen director and constantly changes its orientation within this plane. The backbone diffusion in these planes is of the same range as in the polydomain smectic phase at the same temperature. A detailed analysis of the process of field-induced growth of the smectic phase was performed. The study revealed properties of liquid crystalline polymers that may enable their future fully coarse-grained modeling.     

SYNTHESIS OF A GROUP OF MESOGEN JACKETED LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMERS

A group of the mesogen jacketed liquid crystal polymers based on the monomers 2,5-bis (4-substituted benzoyl)oxystyrenes are synthesized. The substituents include alkoxy, alkyl, and cyano groups. The synthesis and the primary characterization of the liquid crystal phase of the monomers and the polymers are described. While some of the monomers give smectic textures the polymers are found to be nematic above their melting or glass transition temperatures. Interestingly the unsubstituted monomer and its polymer poly 2,5-di( benzoyloxy ) styrene are also liquid crystalline. The single crystal structure of one of the monomers is also discussed.     

侧基甲壳效应和甲壳型液晶高分子

侧链液晶高分子体系里,液晶基元可以通过尾接或腰接的方式与主链相连.一般认为,在液晶基元与主链间插入一段长度合适的＂柔性间隔基＂可有效实现主、侧链间的动力学去偶合,从而有利于侧基液晶基元之间的有序排列.作为一类特殊的腰接型侧链液晶高分子,甲壳型液晶高分子中体积较大的侧基（如棒状液晶基元）通过非常短的间隔基或仅通过一个碳-碳键直接横挂至主链上,这导致了强烈的甲壳效应,使得主链被迫伸展.因此,可从与＂柔性间隔基＂完全不同的角度出发,充分利用主链和侧基间的偶合作用,设计甲壳型液晶高分子.本文综述了腰接型侧链液晶高分子中的侧基甲壳效应、甲壳型液晶高分子中由主链与侧基相互作用所导致的特殊构象以及液晶相结构.研究表明,侧基甲壳效应在调控甲壳型液晶高分子的形状、尺寸以及螺旋结构等方面有重要作用.甲壳型液晶高分子可作为刚-柔嵌段共聚物的刚性链段,也可作为主/侧链结合型液晶高分子的主链部分参与到多层次分级超分子有序结构的构筑之中.     

基于不同间隔基的含三联苯甲壳型液晶聚乙炔的合成与性能研究

设计并合成一类含三联苯液晶基元的甲壳型液晶聚乙炔(-{HC=C-[(CH2)mOOC-terpheyl(OC6H13)2]}n-,m=5,PHA5TP(OC6)2;m=9,PHA9TP( OC6)2),研究了聚合物的热稳定性、液晶性能和发光性能,考察了间隔基的长度对其性能的影响.结果表明,三联苯液晶基元赋予单体和聚合物...     

Properties of a liquid crystalline polyester with a mesogen containing the bicyclooctylene ring

A liquid crystalline polyester with a decamethyene flexible spacer and a mesogenic unit containing a central 1,4-bicyclo(2,2,2)octylene ring was prepared for comparison with the equivalent polymer containing a central p-phenylene ring in the mesogen. Both polymers formed a nematic phase on melting, and as expected, the former had a much lower isotropization temperature than the latter. The polymer containing the bicyclooctylene ring, however, showed a batonnet texture, indicative of a smectic phase, at a temperature above that of the nematic state, especially on cooling from the isotropic melt.     

甲壳型液晶高分子的构筑、自组装及其功能化

甲壳型液晶高分子的发展很大程度上依赖于聚合物自组装的发展,而各种可设计、可预测、可调控的自组装策略的涌现,将甲壳型液晶高分子研究推向前所未有的高度,同时也极大地丰富了高分子化学与物理的内容,提升了研究水准.研究表明,侧链"甲壳效应"在调控甲壳型液晶高分子有序结构等方面有着重要作用.本综述从甲壳型液晶高分子设计合成、液晶相态调控、嵌段共聚物自组装和功能化应用等方面,总结和评述了近年来该领域国内的最新研究进展.最后,本综述总结了甲壳型液晶高分子在发展中所面临的主要问题,并对其发展趋势进行了展望.     

Influencing factors on liquid crystalline properties of cholesterol side-chain liquid crystalline polymers without spacer: molecular weight and copolymerisation

ABSTRACT

It is a challenge to tailor the phase behavior and phase structure of side-chain liquid crystalline polymers carrying targeted ordered structures and functional properties. In this work, liquid crystalline (LC) properties of cholesterol side-chain polymers without spacer were controlled by molecular weight (M_n) and copolymerization. On the one hand, two series of homopolymers without the spacer, poly (methacrylic acid) cholesterol esters (PCholMC_n) and poly (acrylic acid) cholesterol esters (PCholAC_n) with different M_n and low polydispersity, were achieved by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The experiment results indicated that the M_n had little effect on the LC properties of PCholMC_n and all homopolymers formed the smectic A phase. However, the phase structures of PCholAC were found to be strongly M_n dependent. The polymers PCholAC_n were amorphous when the M_n was lower than a critical value of approximately 1210₃ g/mol. But when the M_n exceeded the critical value, the polymers exhibited smectic A phase. On the other hand, two kinds of random copolymers, poly(cholest-5-en-3-methacrylate)-co-polymethyl acrylate (PCholMC-co-MA) and poly(cholest-5-en-3-acrylate)-co-polymethyl acrylate (PCholAC-co-MA) were synthesized with various composition. The findings suggested that the steric effect of main-chain and the interaction of mesogens would promote the formation of LC phase.     

Crosslinked liquid crystal polymers from liquid crystal monomers: Synthesis and mechanical properties

Difunctional acrylates and methacrylate monomers have been made which are high order smectic liquid crystal (or crystalline) at room temperature. This report discusses materials with the following structure: F–S–M–S–F, where F is a functional group, acrylate or methacrylate (A or M); S is a spacer (CH₂)_n(n), and M is a mesogen—in this case 4,4′-dioxybiphenyl (B). They are codified as BnA or BnM where n is the number of methylenes in the spacer. High conversion with high T_g can be obtained when polymerizing in the smectic state because the reactive end groups are concentrated in a small volume and can react well with little or no diffusion. B2A, B3A, B6A, B11A, and B3M were polymerized in the smectic state and compared to polymers made at temperatures where the monomers were isotropic. High conversion was obtained below final T_g—even then, probably because the polymers were ordered. All the polymers were studied by WAXD and dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. Solid-state NMR on B3A showed that there was very high conversion of the double bonds at all temperatures. B3A photopolymerized in the smectic state (60–76°C) produced a crystalline polymer with T_g = 185°C (1 Hz). When photopolymerized at 85°C, above the isotropization temperature (T_i), a poorly organized polymer was obtained with a T_g of 155°C (1 Hz). Monomers with an odd number of methylene groups as spacers were crystalline after polymerization. With an even number of methylene groups, they lost most of their crystallinity on polymerization below T_i, but retained a low order smectic structure. Similar structures were obtained with all the monomers when they were polymerized above T_i. There was little effect of polymerization temperature on T_g when the spacers had an even number of methylene groups. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Coupling order and conductivity. Liquid crystalline conjugated polymers

Acetylenic and diacetylenic liquid crystalline monomers have been prepared in order to obtain conjugated polymers with an orientational character. Unlike the polydiacetylene derivatives obtained and which do not exhibit any mesomorphic behaviour, a smectic phase, stable over a large temperature range, occurs in the case of all the polyacetylenes. This mesophase appears to be stabilized by an in situ polymerization of the monomers oriented in the nematic state. After iodine doping, a nematic phase appears in the polymer in addition to the smectic phase. AC complex conductivity measurements, realized over a large frequency range. are reported for some doped and undoped polyacetylenes. Preliminary results concern both non-oriented polymers and an undoped polymer in which the mesogenic groups have been oriented after polymerization.     

甲壳型液晶高分子的化学结构及其与性能间关系的研究

设计并合成了7种新型甲壳型液晶高分子,研究了液晶基元的化学结构和立体效应对单体及其聚合物液晶性的影响.发现在液晶基元的末端引入极性或可极化的原子基团提高了单体的熔点和液晶相的热稳定性;液晶基元的长径比越大,单体的熔点和清亮点越高;聚合使单体的液晶稳定性增加、液晶相温度范围变宽;侧链液晶基元的极性、刚性和空阻越大,聚合物的玻璃化温度越高;酰胺基团无论是在分子的末端还是在连接部位,都使单体的熔点和聚合物的玻璃化温度提高,但在分子末端时液晶相较稳定,作为中心桥键时不利于液晶相的稳定形成.     

A Review of the Status of Polymerization in Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Media and Liquid Crystalline Monomers

Thermotropic liquid crystals offer uniquely ordered media for intermolecular reactions such as polymerization. Unlike the recently investigated topochemical polymerizations where molecules are rigidly constrained on lattice points [l], the liquid crystalline state permits full two-dimensional (nematic and cholesteric) and one-dimensional (smectic) movement. In addition, various degrees of translational freedom are attainable depending on the class of mesogen. Such freedom of choice, plus the ability to orient nematic and cholesteric mesogens on a molecular scale in an electric or magnetic field or on certain surfaces, makes the liquid crystal state an attractive polymerization medium.     

Synthesis and curing of novel LC twin epoxy monomers for liquid crystal thermosets

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of new liquid crystalline thermosets having a twin structure. Nematic epoxy-terminated monomers based on a phenyl benzoate twin mesogen connected by an alkylene spacer were synthesized for these studies. In addition, an epoxy-terminated monomer based on a 1,4-bis(benzoyloxy)phenylene mesogen was synthesized to determine the effect of the position of the mesogen on the final network structure. The diepoxy monomer made with phenyl benzoate twin mesogens connected with an alkylene spacer formed a smectic-like network when cured with diamines. This smectic organization appeared even though the diepoxy monomer itself showed only a nematic mesophase over a narrow temperature range. The presence of crosslinks at both ends of the mesogens helped to retain a uniform spacing between crosslinking sites during the curing reaction, and aided formation of the smectic layer arrangement. The epoxy monomer possessing a 1,4-bis(benzoyloxy)phenylene mesogen and two epoxidized alkylene end groups on both sides of the mesogen formed a stable nematic mesophase. However, in contrast to the twin epoxies, the latter epoxy when reacted with diamines tended to produce a nematic-like network which was retained as the crosslinking reaction proceeded. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Main chain thermotropic liquid crystalline polyurethanes containing biphenyl mesogens based on novel AB‐type self‐polycondensation route: FT‐IR and XRD studies

The detailed mesophasic characterization of main chain liquid crystalline polyurethanes containing biphenyl mesogen, which were synthesized by the novel AB‐type self‐polycondensation approach, was carried out by using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), variable temperature X‐ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopic studies. The type of mesophase present in these polymers was identified to be the smectic A phase by POM and XRD studies. The smectic layer thickness was found to increase as the length of the spacer increased. The effect of temperature on the hydrogen bonding was analyzed by FT‐IR studies. The curve‐fitting analysis of the NH stretching and C?O stretching modes of vibrations indicated a gradual decrease in hydrogen bonding during the transition from the crystalline state to the mesophase. The mesophase to isotropic liquid transition was then accompanied by the complete disappearance of the hydrogen bonding. The biphenyl bands also showed changes during phase transitions due to the coupling of biphenyl vibration modes with the urethane linkage attached to it. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1903–1912, 2005     

Polyamides based on diamines and N,N′-dimethyldiamines derived from biphenol

Aromatic-aliphatic polyamides containing a biphenyl mesogen were prepared by both interfacial and solution polymerization reactions. Substitution of the amide nitrogen with methyl groups yielded polymers with significantly different properties than the unsubstituted polyamides. The methyl-substituted polyamides had improved thermal stability, significantly lower meltin temperatures, and greater solubility in common solvents. Copolyamides were also synthesized which contained different flexible spacer units that varied in the number of methylene groups. No evidence for the presence of liquid crystalline phases could be obtained in either the unsubstituted polyamides or polyamides containing N-methylated amide units. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

聚甲基丙烯酸-对-甲氧基偶氮苯烷氧基酯的合成及柔性间隔基对液晶行为的影响

通过甲基丙烯酸钾盐与溴化物的反应合成了一系列柔性间隔基长度不同的甲基丙烯酸 对 甲氧基偶氮苯烷氧基酯（ＰＭＡＡＺＯｎ,ｎ＝２,３,４,５,６）,然后聚合成相应的聚合物．用１Ｈ ＮＭＲ和ＩＲ表征了聚合物的结构,ＧＰＣ测定了分子量,ＤＳＣ和偏光显微镜观测了液晶高分子的相行为和织构．研究了间隔基长度对织构、相变和热力学性质的影响,观测到聚合物的ＴＮＩ随间隔基的长度变化表现出的奇偶效应．     

Structure–property relationship of photoactive liquid crystalline polyethers containing benzylidene moiety

A series of main chain photoactive liquid crystalline polyethers, containing rigid bisbenzylidene photoactive mesogen and flexible methylene spacers, were synthesized by polycondensation of bisbenzylidene diols and dibromoalkanes. The polyethers were characterized with ¹H NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA), and polarized light optical microscopy. The individual and combined effects of spacer length and number of methoxy substituents on mesogenic and photoactive properties were investigated. Both first order and second order transition temperatures decreased with increased spacer length and the number of substituents. The combined effect of spacers and substituents drastically reduced the transition temperatures. All monomers and polymers showed mainly the smectic mesophase. In a few cases, nematic droplets along with the smectic phase were observed. The width of the liquid crystalline phase reduced with an increasing number of methoxy substituents on mesogenic unit. Variation of spacer length has a negligible effect on photocycloaddition. However, steric hinderance caused by the substituents decreased the photoactivity as the number of substituents increased. Total energies of crosslinked dimers calculated from modeling studies supported the above findings. Intermolecular photocycloaddition was also confirmed by photoviscosity measurement. The refractive index change was found to be in the range of 0.017–0.031. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2143–2155, 2009     

Topochemical Polymerization of 1,3‐Diene Monomers and Features of Polymer Crystals as Organic Intercalation Materials

From the viewpoint of controlled polymer synthesis, topochemical polymerization based on crystal engineering is very useful for controlling not only the primary chain structures but also the higher‐order structures of the crystalline polymers. We found a new type of topochemical polymerization of muconic and sorbic acid derivatives to give stereoregular and high‐molecular weight polymers under photo‐, X‐ray, and γ‐ray irradiation of the monomer crystals. In this article, we describe detailed features and the mechanism of the topochemical polymerization of diethyl‐(Z,Z)‐muconate as well as of various alkylammonium derivatives of muconic and sorbic acids, which are 1,3‐diene mono‐ and dicarboxylic acid derivatives, to control the stereochemical structures of the polymers. The polymerization reactivity of these monomers in the crystalline state and the stereochemical structure of the polymers produced are discussed based on the concept of crystal engineering, which is a useful method to design and control the reactivity, structure, and properties of organic solids. The reactivity of the topochemical polymerization is determined by the monomer crystal structure, i.e. the monomer molecular arrangement in the crystals. Polymer crystals derived from topochemical polymerization have a high potential as new organic crystalline materials for various applications. Organic intercalation using the polymer crystals prepared from alkylammonium muconates and sorbates is also described.