Synthesis of side chain liquid crystalline poly(vinyl ether)s containing 2,2′-dimethyl-4-methoxy-4′-[undecanyloxy-4-benzoyl]ester biphenyl side group

The synthesis and characterization of 2,2′-dimethyl-4-methoxy-[(11-vinyloxy)undecanyloxy-4-bezoyl]ester biphenyl (7), its cationic polymerization to side chain liquid crystalline polymers with relative number average degrees of polymerization (DP) of 2, 8 and 19 are presented. The mesogenic vinyl ether monomer displays an inverse monotropic nematic phase. The oligomers with DP=2 and DP= 8 display an enantiotropic nematic, while the polymer with DP=19 exhibits an inverse monotropic smectic A and an enantiotropic ncmatic phases. All the liquid crystalline polymers display only liquid crystalline phases and do not undergo side chain crystallization even though eleven methylenic units are used as the flexible spacer.