Phase behavior of comb-shaped liquid-crystalline ionomers containing metalions

Using the method of radical polymerization, nematic ionogenic LC copolymers containing oxycyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups and ionogenic carboxyl groups of acrylic acid (10-30 mol %) were synthesized. LC ionomers containing sod ium ions (1.2-18.3 mol %) were obtained by the exchange reaction between io nogenic polymers and sodium acetate. It was shown that at low concentration s of metal ions in ionomers (below 2 mol %), the development of S-A-phase i s observed. As the concentration of sodium ions is increased, an almost lin ear increase in the clearing temperature takes place. It was established th at the molecular mass of the initial ionogenic copolymer and the content of acrylic acid in this copolymer affect the phase behavior of ionomers. A mo del for LC ionomers is advanced which takes into account a structuring role of ionic multiplets and the initial rigidity of the polymer chains of iono genic copolymers.