SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE SIDE-CHAIN METALLOPOLYMER

The synthesis of a novel kind of form-retaining liquid crystalline cro sslinked metallopolymer is reported. Copper(II) is complexed by Schiff 's base units as part of a mesogenic side chain polymer. This leads to remarkable antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the copper centers that are not present in related monomeric model compounds. IR spectroscopic investigations in the region 4000-200 cm(-1), X-ray dif fractometry and temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurem ents were carried out to elucidate the structure of this new material. The observed considerably strong antiferromagnetic coupling is assume d to be due to the interactions between the copper centers through oxy gen bridges in the polymeric matrix.