Liquid Crystal Polymers: Conformation of Deuterated Parts by SANS

Comb like liquid crystal polymers are polymers on each monomer is grafted a hanging liquid crystal molecule. The bulk state has the classical liquid crystal phases (nematic, smectic); what is the conformation of a chain in these phases is the problem to solve with the help of small angle neutron scattering. The values of the global sizes R _|| and R _‖ of a chain (in the direction parallel and perpendicular to the director) are discussed as a function of the chemical species and the temperature. Strange results are discussed in terms of segregation of labelled parts.