Liquid crystalline polymers and elastomers

The results of experiments and theory correlate increasingly well in the investigation of liquid crystalline polymers. Current work focuses on rheology and the behavior of blends of thermotropic LC polymers, due to reemerging economic interest in these materials. Research on liquid crystalline elastomers concentrates on potential applications such as artificial muscles and lasing.

Trend report macromolecular chemistry 2001

Makromolekulare Chemie 2001

In der Grundlagenforschung der Makromolekularen Chemie liegen die Schwerpunkte auf gezielten Verfahren zur Polymerisation bekannter Monomerer und auf neuen Polymerarchitekturen. Anwendungsaspekte rucken dabei immer mehr in den Vordergrund – bis zur direkten Entwicklung von Funktionsmaterialien. Die Industrie erweitert mit neuen Katalysatoren, Blends, Additiven und Copolymerstrukturen ihr Repertoire.

Chiral polyisocyanates, a special class of helical polymers

Abstract Polyisocyanates (nylon 1) offer a lot of fascinating properties due to their dynamic helical conformation, which gives rise to orientational phenomena (large persistence length) or chiral amplification. This paper summarizes new results on polyisocyanates that appeared after the review by Bur and Fetters [Chem Rev 76 (1976) 727]. It starts with an overview of new synthetic methods, and then describes chiral polyisocyanates, their properties and the theoretical concepts developed to understand the experimental findings. Thereafter concentrated solutions (gels and LC phases) as well as photochromic polyisocyanates are discussed in detail. Finally, solid phase composite materials from…