Liquid crystalline polyacrylates using hyperbranched poly(p-chloromethylstyrene) as initiator

Two kinds of acrylate monomers, i.e. 4-methoxyphenyl 4-{[2-(1-oxo-2-propeny loxy)ethyl]oxy}-benzoate (I) and 4-methoxyphenyl 4-{[6-(1-oxo-2-propenyloxy )hexyl]oxy}benzoate (II) were polymerized using hyperbranched poly(p-chloro methylstyrene) (PCMS) as an initiator by atom transfer radical polymerizati on (ATRP). The resulting dendritic graft copolymers were characterized by m eans of gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, a nd polarization microscopy. The mesophase behaviour of these dendritic copo lymers essentially depends on the chemical nature of the polyacrylates.