Liquid-crystalline epoxy resins were synthesized from 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic
acid, which was used as a mesogenic component, with phenylhydroquinone or
isosorbide and via a further reaction with (6-bromo-1-hexyl)glycidylether,
which was used as a flexible spacer. In this way, phenylhydroquinone-bis-6-
[6-(glycidyloxy)hexyloxy]2-naphthoate (Gly A) and isosorbide-bis-6-[6-(glyc
idyloxy)hexyloxy]2-naphthoate (Gly B) were obtained. Nematic elastomers wer
e obtained by the crosslinking of Gly A with 2,4-diaminotoluene (DAT) and 1
,10-decanedicarboxylic acid (SA). The liquid-crystalline behavior was inves
tigated with differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing light microscopy
, and X-ray diffractometry. Cholesteric mesophases were produced by the ble
nding of different ratios of Gly A and Gly B, and these blends were then cr
osslinked with SA to produce nematic mesophases. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons
, Inc.