Epoxy-based side-chain polymers with cholesteryl and cyanobiphenyl pendant groups

Abstract

Interest in side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCP) stem from possible applications that take advantage of the combination of the properties of liquid crystals and polymers. For a polymer to form a liquid-crystalline phase, a major portion of it should be stiff and rod-like, this being the same major requisite for the low molecular weight mesogens. In SCLCP, this is often achieved by attaching a mesogenic pendant group to the polymer main chain by flexible space groups. In this study, the polymer main chain was obtained from an epon resin EGDE, and the mesogenic groups, cyanobiphenyl and cholesteryl, were attached via the spacers hexyloxy and butyrate, respectively. It is hoped that a twisted nematic or cholesteric phase would be obtained. This paper reports on the mesomorphic properties of such copolymers.