M. Laus et al., SYNTHESIS AND LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE PROPERTIES OF POLYACRYLATES CONTAINING PROCHIRAL SULFIDE SUBSTITUENTS, Polymer, 36(6), 1995, pp. 1261-1268
The synthesis and thermal behaviour of a new series of side-chain liqu
id-crystalline polyacrylates 1a-h containing prochiral alkyl sulfide s
ubstituents with a variable number n of carbon atoms are described. No
liquid-crystalline behaviour was exhibited in the melt by the relevan
t monomers and intermediate compounds. In contrast, all polymers displ
ayed thermotropic properties. The lower homologues 1a-f(n less than or
equal to 6) displayed smectic B1 and smectic A1 mesophases, while the
higher homologue 1h (n = 10) formed a bilayer, partly interdigitated
smectic C mesophase. A special position was held by 1g with a sulfide
substituent of intermediate length (n = 8), for which monolayer and bi
layer smectic mesophases coexisted over a wide temperature range.