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Title: Liquid crystalline cellulose derivatives

Abstract

Following the observation that (hydroxypropyl)cellulose in water forms an ordered cholesteric liquid crystalline phase at high polymer concentrations, reports that many other cellulose derivatives in a wide variety of solvents also form liquid crystalline solutions have appeared in the scientific and patent literature. A tabulation of cellulose-based liquid crystalline systems is presented. The formation of the ordered phase is attributed to the limited flexibility of the cellulose chain. However, some cellulose derivatives form liquid crystalline phases only in specific solvents; concentrated solutions in other solvents remain isotropic. Other cellulose derivatives, such as (hydroxypropyl)cellulose, appear to form liquid crystalline solutions in any solvent that dissolves sufficiently high concentrations of the polymer. It has been suggested that the role of flexible side-chain substituents is to allow the main chains to achieve their equilibrium orientational order. The presence of many large substituents on the cellulose backbone also increases the effective chain radius and may change the chain conformation. The effect of side-chain structure on the properties of cellulose liquid crystalline phases is thus of interest. A series of esters of (hydroxypropyl)cellulose have been prepared. In addition to forming liquid crystalline solutions in organic solvents, these materials also were found to form cholesteric thermotropicmore » phases in the absence of solvent. The thermotropic phases show spontaneous molecular orientation and cholesteric reflection. On heating, a transformation to the isotropic melt occurs. The liquid crystalline state of cellulose and its derivatives is thus widely observed. 42 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
McGill Univ., Montreal, Quebec
OSTI Identifier:
6980365
Report Number(s):
CONF-8205234-Vol.1
Journal ID: CODEN: JPSSD
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
J. Appl. Polym. Sci.: Appl. Polym. Symp.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Conference: 9. cellulose conference, Syracuse, NY, USA, 24 May 1982
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; CELLULOSE; CONVERSION; CELLULOSE ESTERS; SYNTHESIS; LIQUID CRYSTALS; BY-PRODUCTS; MOLECULAR STRUCTURE; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; ORGANIC SOLVENTS; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; POLYMERS; QUANTITY RATIO; RHEOLOGY; CARBOHYDRATES; CRYSTALS; ESTERS; FLUIDS; LIQUIDS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; POLYSACCHARIDES; SACCHARIDES; SOLVENTS; 140504* - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Gray, D G. Liquid crystalline cellulose derivatives. United States: N. p., 1983. Web.
Gray, D G. Liquid crystalline cellulose derivatives. United States.
Gray, D G. 1983. "Liquid crystalline cellulose derivatives". United States.
@article{osti_6980365,
title = {Liquid crystalline cellulose derivatives},
author = {Gray, D G},
abstractNote = {Following the observation that (hydroxypropyl)cellulose in water forms an ordered cholesteric liquid crystalline phase at high polymer concentrations, reports that many other cellulose derivatives in a wide variety of solvents also form liquid crystalline solutions have appeared in the scientific and patent literature. A tabulation of cellulose-based liquid crystalline systems is presented. The formation of the ordered phase is attributed to the limited flexibility of the cellulose chain. However, some cellulose derivatives form liquid crystalline phases only in specific solvents; concentrated solutions in other solvents remain isotropic. Other cellulose derivatives, such as (hydroxypropyl)cellulose, appear to form liquid crystalline solutions in any solvent that dissolves sufficiently high concentrations of the polymer. It has been suggested that the role of flexible side-chain substituents is to allow the main chains to achieve their equilibrium orientational order. The presence of many large substituents on the cellulose backbone also increases the effective chain radius and may change the chain conformation. The effect of side-chain structure on the properties of cellulose liquid crystalline phases is thus of interest. A series of esters of (hydroxypropyl)cellulose have been prepared. In addition to forming liquid crystalline solutions in organic solvents, these materials also were found to form cholesteric thermotropic phases in the absence of solvent. The thermotropic phases show spontaneous molecular orientation and cholesteric reflection. On heating, a transformation to the isotropic melt occurs. The liquid crystalline state of cellulose and its derivatives is thus widely observed. 42 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6980365}, journal = {J. Appl. Polym. Sci.: Appl. Polym. Symp.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983}
}

Conference:
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