Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Advances and Applications

Abstract

Matters comprise of molecules that exist in three different phases-solids, liquids and gases depending on their arrangement. The arrangement of molecules in a crystalline solid leads to long-range positional and orientational orders. In isotropic liquid, on the other hand, the molecules are arranged randomly and possess no order and flow freely. However, it was observed that a certain class of molecules organise in a different manner in order to exhibit a new phase, popularly known as liquid crystalline phase. Molecules in liquid crystalline phase self-organize, leading to positional/orientation order. Macroscopically, the liquid crystalline phase exhibits flow and appears like an opaque fluid.

Amphiphilic Nanogels: Fuzzy Spheres with a Pseudo-Periodic Internal Structure

“…In contrast, the different d-values for CHOLA-20 and DODA-20 NGs are probably attributed to a different packing behavior of the CHOLA and DODA groups. While crystallization might occur for the long DODA alkyl side chains, , the CHOLA groups might form liquid crystalline domains. , However, in amphiphilic copolymer assemblies, the actual molecular packing of these hydrophobic side groups is rather complex and difficult to examine. For example, the crystallization of DODA alkyl side groups might be significantly influenced by the presence of hydrophilic comonomers and the cross-linking density of the amphiphilic polymer network, i.e., the mobility of the polymer segments .…”

Finely tuning the self-assembled architectures of liquid crystal polymers by molecular engineering: phase transitions derived from terminal group variations

“…1–7 Side chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs), as remarkable models of soft matters with customizable properties, have attracted considerable research attention in multiple fields including polymer chemistry and physics, materials science and soft matters in the past few decades due to their widely tailorable properties, preparation easiness and processing feasibility. 8–11…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Side chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs), as remarkable models of soft matters with customizable properties, have attracted considerable research attention in multiple fields including polymer chemistry and physics, materials science and soft matters in the past few decades due to their widely tailorable properties, preparation easiness and processing feasibility. [8][9][10][11] SCLCPs consist of a flexible main chain and pendant rigid mesogens. Through finely tuning the chemical structures of these two parts, abundant phase structures of SCLCPs, including smectic, 12,13 nematic, [14][15][16] cholesteric, 17,18 and blue phases, 18,19 have been achieved via the microphase separation between the flexible backbone and rigid mesogens.…”