Synthesis and property of dendrimers having peripherally mesogenic units

Poly(propyleneimine)-based liquid crystalline dendrimers (DCDs) with a rela tively flexible dendritic scaffold were successfully prepared by Michael ad dition reaction of polypropyleneimine)s to 6-(2,3-dicyano-4-butoxyphenyloxy ) hexyl acrylate(4). The structure of DCDs were characterized by IR, NMR an d MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopies. Liquid crystallinity were examined by DSC, polarized optical microscope, and X-ray diffraction methods. DCDs exhibite d a smectic liquid-crystalline phase, The polar terminal 2,3-dicyanophenyle ne group gave a liquid crystalline properties to DCDs.