New mesomorphic poly(methylsilacyclohexanes)

The first representative of a series of disilacycloalkanes, trans-1,4-dihyd roxy-1,4-dimethyl-1,4-disilacyclohexane (I) was synthesized. The heterofunc tional polycondensation of trans-1,4-dichloro-1,4-dimethyl-1,4-disilacycloh exane with compound I or a mixture of cis and trans isomers of I, as well a s homocondensation of a mixture of isomers of I yielded cyclolinear poly[ox y(1,4-dimethyl-1,4-disilacyclohexane-1,4-diyls)] with the varying tacticity . The presence of a mesomorphic state in the synthesized compounds was conf irmed by DSC, X-ray diffraction, and polarization microscopy.