Efficient Polymerization of a Semi-Fluorinated Liquid-Crystalline Methacrylate

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1993

Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Abstract

Polymerization of a liquid crystalline semi-fluorinated methacrylate monomer at a temperature which maintains a highly ordered smectic texture is extremely efficient. The efficiency in the isotropic phase is much lower. When polymerization is conducted in the isotropic phase at only a few degrees above its clearing temperature, a change to a low-order liquid crystal with smectic texture occurs during polymerization: the change is accompanied by an abrupt increase in the polymerization rate. At higher temperatures in the isotropic phase no change in texture occurs during polymerization, and the quantum efficiency of polymerization is two orders of magnitude lower than in the liquid crystalline medium. The polymerization efficiency for the semi-fluorinated methacrylate in the highly ordered smectic is greater than for the lower order of a cholesterol-bearing liquid crystalline methacrylate, or an isotropic trifunctional acrylate.

Publication Title

Polymer

Volume

34

Issue

14

First Page

3070

Last Page

3075

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