Synthesis and polymerization of 2,5-bis(4 '-alkoxy-phenyl)styrene for mesogen-jacketed liquid crystal polymers

A series of novel reactive liquid crystals, 2,5-bis(4'-alkoxyphenyl)styrene , was designed and synthesized to prepare stereoregular mesogen-jacketed li quid crystal polymers (MJLCPs). These monomers are different from their ana logous studied previously in that they do not contain polar linkages such a s ester or/and amide group and therefore are expected to polymerize easily both by radical and ionic polymerization. The preliminary studies show that the resulting polymers have higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and m uch better thermal stability than their analogous.