Interrelation between the orientation of the polymer chains and the mesogenic groups in crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers

Abstract

In crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers, the polymer chains can be oriented by mechanical forces, and the mesogenic groups should orient independently in electric fields. Thus crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers should allow the investigation of the interrelation between the orientation of polymer chains and mesogenic groups. The possibility of orienting the mesogenic groups by mechanical forces (via the polymer chains) is of considerable interest, if liquid crystalline phases with special properties, e. g. ferroelectric properties, are considered. Synthetic routes to uncrosslinked and crosslinked polymers with these properties are discussed.