Chiral Liquid Crystal Polymers Containing Electron Donor- Acceptor Action-Synthesis and Characterization

Abstract

A series of new chiral side-chain liquid crystalline polymers with electron donor-acceptor action were prepared containing chiral monomer with donor group and nematic LC monomer with acceptor group. All polymers were synthesized by graft polymerization using polymethylhydro- siloxane as backbone. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), polarizing optical microscopy(POM)，thermogravimetric analyses（TGA） and X-ray diffraction measurements(XRD). The chemical structures of monomers and polymers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra(1H NMR and 13CNMR). M1 showed nematic phase and M2 turned out cholesteric phase on heating and cooling cycle. Polymers P3~P8 were cholesteric phase. Experimental results demonstrated that the glass transition temperatures and isotropization temperatures and the ranges of the mesophase temperature increased with increasing the content of chiral agent. All of the obtained polymers showed high thermal stability.