THE USE OF PHOTOINITIATED FREE-RADICAL CYCLOPOLYMERIZATION IN THE PREPARATION OF NOVEL SIDE-CHAIN LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYDIENES

The technique of photoinitiated free-radical cyclopolymerization has b een used to produce a variety of novel side-chain liquid-crystalline ( SCLC) polymers in which an alicyclic ring structure is incorporated in to a polymer backbone. Most of the SCLC polymers gave glass transition temperatures (T-g) around room temperature and clearing points around 60-70 degrees C. However, the poly(1,5-hexadiene) was the exception t o this, exhibiting a T-g value of 14.5 degrees C and a clearing point of 132.5 degrees C. Confirmation of the structure of the alicyclic rin g along the polymer backbone is extremely difficult to obtain, but evi dence is given in the paper to support the ring structure.