Mesomorphic properties of side-chain type polymers containing hydrogen bonding group

Side chain type liquid crystalline polymer(SLCP)s with a carboxylic acid or an amide group in the side chain were synthesized by radical polymerizatio n to examine the influence of intermolecular interaction on thermal propert ies of the polymers. An enantiotropic smectic phase was induced for the but oxyazobenzene copolymers containing 50-60 mol% of carboxylic acid moiety, w hile two smectic phases were observed for amide type SLCPs with butoxy grou p as a mesogenic terminal group. It demonstrates that intermolecular hydrog en bonding formed between carboxylic acid groups and between each mesogenic group in the side chain plays an important role to exhibit the liquid crys talline phase by thermally controlled FT-IR measurements.