New thermotropic chiral nematic polymers. 3. Copolymers containing a cyanobiphenyl group and (S)-(-)-1-phenylethanol or (S)-(-)-1-phenylethylamine
- Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States)
Thermotropic chiral nematics in thin films on the order of 10 [mu]m possess a unique optical property, selective wavelength reflection, that forms the basis of a number of potential applications including circular polarizers, notch filters, beamsplitters, and so on. Instead of low molar mass chiral nematics, thermotropic copolymers have been actively pursued as an alternative in view of the possibility of achieving long-term mesophase stability and optical characteristics desired for passive device applications. Cyanobiphenyl is a relatively high birefringent group which is known to contribute to the formation of low molar mass liquid crystals; it was found to exhibit a nematic mesophase between the glass transition and clearing temperatures in side-chain polyacrylates with spacer lengths in the 2-6 range. However, there exists only one report on the formation of a chiral nematic copolymer with cholesterol as the chiral moiety. Since several chiral building blocks other than cholesterol have been found to possess strong helical twisting powers with selected nematogenic monomers, it would be of interest to explore a cyanobiphenyl group as a building block for the synthesis of new chiral nematic copolymers.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC03-92SF19460
- OSTI ID:
- 5850391
- Journal Information:
- Macromolecules; (United States), Vol. 26:22; ISSN 0024-9297
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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