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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Structure and morphology of liquid-crystalline polymers

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Liquid-crystalline phases are characterized by structures intermediate between a three-dimensionally ordered crystal and a disordered fluid. Polymers with liquid-crystalline structures can be obtained from specific monomers containing mesogenic groups with a tendency to form liquid-crystalline phases. These mesogenic groups are either incorporated into the main chain or attached to a chain as side groups. In both cases liquid-crystalline structures, and also enantiotropic liquid-crystalline phases, have been reported. Smectic polymers are characterized by layered structures with long-range order in the direction of the layer normal and two-dimensional short-range order within the layers. The nematic polymers are characterized by a preferred direction on a microscopic scale and short-range positional order of the centers of mass of the mesogenic groups. Thermal and textural properties are similar to the corresponding properties of low molecular weight liquid crystals.