Chirality in some liquid crystalline association chain polymers

Two series of sequence random association chain liquid crystalline polymers have been synthesized by melt mixing a bispyridyl with dicarboxylic acids, which in their individual states are not liquid crystals. The phase behavi or of two classes of polymer complexes was examined using hot stage polariz ed light microscopy. It is shown that polymer complexes consisting of (+)-3 -methyl adipic acid exhibit a chiral nematic fingerprint texture even at lo w molar concentration (1.5%) while polymer complexes with an (L)-tartaric a cid derivative exhibit a weak fingerprint texture only at high concentratio n. The effects of the random association chain structure on the thermal beh avior of the polymer complexes are also discussed.