Abstract: | A mesogenic monomer di-6-(4-methoxy-4′-biphenyloxy) hexyl]-2-methylene butane-1,4-dioate, has been copolymerized with non-mesogen monomers, one racemic and one optically pure, with a view to examining the potential for using these to induce chiral liquid crystal line phases in the copolymer. This proved to be ineffective, with the copolymer exhibiting only smectic A or smectic B phases. Transition temperature–copolymer composition diagrams have been constructed for both copolymer series and their features have been contrasted. Monomer reactivity ratios have been derived for both copolymer systems. |