Introduction to Liquid Crystalline Polymers

What is/are Liquid Crystalline Polymers?

Liquid Crystalline Polymers - We report fabrication of photoresponsive liquid-crystalline polymers reinforced with highly-oriented Kapton nanofibers with a supramolecular hydrogen bonding interface. ^[1] In this work, we report a Density Functional Theory based study of phase behavior of lyotropic liquid-crystalline polymers under both good and varying solvent conditions in the presence of external electric or magnetic field. ^[2] Here, we report a photodriven swing actuator composed of commercially available polyimide (Kapton) and azobenzene-containing liquid-crystalline polymers. ^[3] However, in so-called liquid-crystalline polymers, the molecular chains are straight. ^[4] An analysis of design and technological solutions related to the production of integrated microwave filters based on modern materials - liquid-crystalline polymers (LCP) and low-temperature ceramics (LTCC) is considered. ^[5] This article overviews the recent advances in tunable solution self-assembly of several common types of amphiphilic rod–coil copolymers, including block, alternating, graft, star, and hyperbranched/dendritic copolymers, which contain functional rod segments such as conjugated polymers, liquid crystalline polymers, polypeptides, and helical polymers. ^[6] Using patterns of concentric circular lines (analogous to +1 defects in liquid crystalline polymers), we demonstrate the swelling-induced formation of cone-like shapes, where the buckling direction of each unit can be programmed through local variations in Δ. ^[7] First, gold nanoparticles grafted by liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are used to induce the homeotropic orientation of the LC monomer and crosslinkers. ^[8] Photo-induced curing of liquid crystalline polymers is a technique that may be used to generate refractive-index patterning of surfaces. ^[9] Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) are widely used as functional materials in a variety of fields because, similarly to biological membranes, they undergo abrupt changes in their organized structures and mobilities at their phase transition temperatures. ^[10] To explore the optoelectronic properties of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs), two luminescent liquid crystalline polymers (LLCPs) with high-efficiency emission in the solid state, namely poly([3-(4′,4′′-dibutyloxy)tetraphenylethylene]styrene) (PSTPE) and poly(3,5-bis[(4′,4′′-dibutyloxy)tetraphenylethylene]styrene) (PS2TPE), on the basis of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and a “jacketing” effect, are successfully prepared through radical polymerization under mild conditions. ^[11]

Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers

ABSTRACT It is a challenge to tailor the phase behavior and phase structure of side-chain liquid crystalline polymers carrying targeted ordered structures and functional properties. ^[1] Because of their precise side-chain structure and versatile ordered morphologies, side-chain liquid crystalline polymers can provide a novel material platform to obtain sub-10 nm structures via their self-assembly. ^[2] A series of side chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) poly[ω-4′-cyano-(1, 1′-biphenyl)] acrylate (P0ACB) with different molecular weight were prepared and used as gelator to fabricate liquid crystalline physical gels (LCPGs). ^[3] The optical properties of a series of side chain liquid crystalline polymers (P1–P3) containing azo-benzothiazole mesogen with different terminal substituents (–H, –CH3 and –OCH2CH3) in four organic solvents of varying polarity have been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectral analysis. ^[4] Three kinds of side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs), in which cholesteryl mesogens (Chol) were linked to polyacrylate (PCholAC-m), polymethacrylate (PCholMC-m), and poly(2-vinylbenzene-1,4-dioate) (PCholVA-m) backbones through methylene spacers of different lengths (m = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10), were successfully synthesized using free-radical polymerization. ^[5]

Luminescent Liquid Crystalline Polymers

To fabricate luminescent liquid crystalline polymers (LLCs), two monomers 2,5-bis[(4′,4″-dibutyloxy)tetraphenylphthalate]styrene (M1) and 2,5-bis[(4′,4″-dibutyloxy)tetraphenylethylene]styrene (M2) have been successfully designed and synthesized. ^[1] The results revealed that the phase structure and the aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) effect of these novel luminescent liquid crystalline polymers bearing cyanostilbene as the rigid core could be effectively regulated by adjusting the number and the length of the terminal alkoxy chains. ^[2] Luminescent liquid crystalline polymers (LLCPs) show extensive application potentials, such as liquid crystal displays and circularly polarized luminescence. ^[3]

Crosslinked Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers (CLCPs) have garnered extensive attention in recent years for their significant values in the design of light-driven soft actuators. ^[1] Crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers (CLCPs) containing azobenzene (AZO-CLCPs) are a type of promising material due to their significance in the design of light-driven smart actuators. ^[2]

Discotic Liquid Crystalline Polymers

The self-assembly of triphenylene (TP)-based side-chain discotic liquid crystalline polymers (SDLCPs) with different grafting densities was investigated by using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. ^[1] Side-chain discotic liquid crystalline polymers (SDLCPs) with discotic (disclike) mesogens (discogens) attached as side groups through flexible spacers constitute a class of fascinating organic polymer semiconducting materials. ^[2]