Structure of a Self-Assembled Hydrogen-Bonded 'Living' Main Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymer

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-1998

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

School

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Abstract

A main chain hydrogen-bonded liquid crystalline polymer was formed by melt mixing two complementary components, A and B, which in their individual states do not exhibit liquid crystallinity. The structure of the polymer and the thermal stability of its mesophase were studied using synchrotron radiation SAXS/WAXS/DSC at Daresbury (UK) and by variable temperature Fourier transform infrared. The chain extension, or "polymerization" process, was accelerated at the point when the polymer formed a liquid crystalline phase upon cooling from the isotropic melt. The polymer has an aabb chain structure and forms a smectic layer with a length of the A-B repeating unit. The hydrogen-bonded main chain polymer studied here is a monotropic liquid crystal. Above 150 degrees C, it exhibits kinetic stabilization of its monotropic smectic phase. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Publication Title

Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics

Volume

36

Issue

10

First Page

1617

Last Page

1624

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