Discotic liquid crystalline block copolymers 1: Side-chain discotic liquidcrystalline diblock copolymers

In this paper we describe the synthesis of diblock copolymers based on a po lystyrene backbone and containing one side-chain discotic liquid crystallin e block. Evidence for the desired microphase separation and long-range orde ring of the microphase separated structures in these polymers is less clear than it is for the di- and triblock copolymers with one main-chaindiscotic block described in the accompanying paper, However, when HAT4 or HAT6 is a dded to the copolymers homogeneous textures are observed by polarising micr oscopy and both DSC and low angle X-ray show the presence of separated liqu id crystalline columnar discotic domains.