Synthesis, polymerization and structural characterization of a novel liquid crystalline side-chain poly(vinyl ether) containing dicyanovinyl groups and displaying coexisting smectic phases

✍ Scribed by Mikael Trollsås; Henrik Ihre; Ulf W. Gedde; Anders Hult

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 619 KB
• Volume: 197
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1352
• DOI: 10.1002/macp.1996.021970301

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The synthesis and cationic polymerization of the new monomer 4‐(2,2‐dicyanovinyl)‐4′‐(11‐vinyloxyundecyloxy)biphenyl (6) is described. The dicyanovinyl group tolerated thermally initiated and photoinitiated cationic bulk polymerization using onium salts as well as the BF~3~ · (EtO)~2~‐initiated solution polymerization in CH~2~Cl~2~ at −15°C. Monomer 6 was crystalline, whereas poly(6) with increasing temperature exhibited coexisting S~A~^d^ and S~C~ phases, an S~A~^d^ phase with extensive thermal stability and an isotropic phase. Poly(6) exhibited a glass transition at 20°C.