| Abstract: | Side chain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes were synthesized by the hydrosilation of poly(methylhydrosiloxane) with p-(1-undecenyl-11-oxy) benzyl ethers of 4-cyanophenol (IM), 4-methoxyphenol (IIM), 4-cyano-4′-hydroxybiphenyl (IIIM), 4-methoxy-4′-hydroxybiphenyl (IVM), and 2-cyano-6-hydroxynaphthalene (VM). The phase behavior of both monomeric and polymeric liquid crystals was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarization microscopy. IM is a monotropic liquid crystal, IIM is crystalline, and IIIM and IVM are enantiotropic liquid crystals, whereas VM presents two virtual liquid crystalline transitions and crystalline polymorphism. All the synthesized polysiloxanes present enantiotropic smectic mesomorphism. |
