Fluorescence study on a liquid‐crystalline polyester containing naphthoate mesogen units

Using fluorescence spectroscopy, we investigated intermolecular interaction between mesogenic units in a thermotropic main‐chain LC polyester, P(HBA73/HNA27), containing oxybenzoate (HBA) and oxynaphthoate (HNA) mesogenic units. It is known that P(HBA73/HNA27), which has a high molecular weight, shows second harmonic generation (SHG) activity. P(HBA73/HNA27) showed fluorescence at 410 nm and 430 nm, originating from two kinds of intermolecular interaction. Fluorescence with a peak at 410 nm comes from the ground‐state complex between partially overlapping naphthoate units or between naphthoate and oxybenzoate units whose interaction is weak. Fluorescence at 430 nm comes from the ground‐state complex between fully overlapping naphthoate units whose interaction is strong. The relative fluorescence intensity for 430 nm compared to 410 nm increases with increases in inherent viscosity, η_inh, of P(HBA73/HNA27), the composition ratio of HNA/HBA, and temperature. The fluorescence intensity ratio, I₄₃₀/I₄₁₀, of P(HBA73/HNA27) shows the same inherent‐viscosity dependence with its sudden increase at η_inh = 1.4 ∽ 2.2 dL/g as its SHG activity does, supporting the polar structure and uniformity of LC orientation of the present LC polyester. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2922–2928, 2000