| Abstract: | A family of a new hydrogen-bonded complexes based on comb-shaped LC copolymers containing the monomer units of cyanobiphenyl derivative and n-alkyloxy-4-oxybenzoic acid with a chiral dopant on the base of 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and L -menthol, was prepared. At concentrations of chiral groups 1–25 mol %, the induction of cholesteric phase was observed. Temperature dependences of selective light reflection wavelengths were studied, and helix twisting power was calculated. Depending on the type of copolymer nematic matrix, this value is changed in the range from 12.1 to 19.6 µm−1. It was shown that an increase of a distance between the chiral dopant and the main polymer chain results in a lower values of helix twisting power. With respect to optical properties, the chiral nematic phase in the hydrogen-bonded complexes is comparable to classical cholesteric copolymers, in which the chiral group is covalently bound to polymer chain. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3215–3225, 1999 |
