Side-chain functionalized liquid crystalline polymers and blends, 3 - Effect of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds on the order parameter and elasticity constants of sidechain functionalized LC polymers

New series of functionalized side-chain LC polymers were synthesized. They contain phenyl benzoate mesogenic groups and functional carboxylic groups, derivatives of alkyloxybenzoic acid, with different numbers of methylene gr oups in the spacer (n = 3, 6, and 9). The effect of hydrogen bonds on the p hase state and the structure of LC polymers is shown. It was found that the increase in the length of the flexible fragment in the functional monomer unit (n = 6 or 9) favors the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In the case of a short spacer (n = 3), predominantly intramolecular hydrogen bonds are formed. The formation of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds influences the values and the temperature dependencies of birefringence, t he order parameter and orientational elastic constants for the nematic phas e of the LC copolymers.