X-ray study of bilayered tilted structures in liquid crystalline side chain methacrylic polymers

The synthesis and measurement of thermodynamic properties of six methacrylate-based polymers were undertaken to observe the relationship between structural aliphatic features and mesophase properties. X-ray measurements on some of the polymers investigated show, as expected, the existence of bilayered smectic phases SmC 2 and SmA d . Taking into account our previous results, an interesting trend in the tilt angle was found that might be related to the difference in alkyl chain substitution.     

Phase characterization of two homologous series of LC methacrylic monomers based on ω-hexyl- and ω-butyl-oxysalicylaldimine groups with different alkoxy tail substitutions

The phase characterization of two homologous series of liquid crystalline methacrylic monomers based on χ -hexyl- and χ -butyloxysalicylaldimine groups, with different alkoxy tails, is presented. The liquid crystalline materials were characterized by polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. All the monomers exhibit the simultaneous occurrence of smectic A and C phases. When the alkyl chain is short, a narrow nematic phase is observed, leading to an I-N-SmA-SmC phase sequence.