Abstract
The formation of smectic phases in side-chain liquid crystal copolymers, SCLCPs, containing sulfonic acid-based nonmesogenic units, has been investigated using variable temperature FT-IR microscopy. Two copolymers have been characterized, namely, the poly[10-(4-methoxy-4′-oxy-azobenzene) decyl methacrylate]–copoly[2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid]s, the X-MeOAzB/AMPS copolymers, containing X = 0.71 and 0.56 mol fraction of mesogenic side-chains, respectively. For comparative purposes the corresponding side chain liquid crystal homopolymer, poly[10-(4-methoxy-4′-oxy-azobenzene) decyl methacrylate], MeOAzB, has also been characterized. The 0.56-MeOAzB/AMPS copolymer exhibits a bilayer smectic A phase, in which the mesogenic side chains constitute one layer with a SmA1 packing arrangement and the sulfonic acid groups another; whereas in the smectic A phase shown by the 0.71-MeOAzB/AMPS copolymer, the acid groups are located within the smectic layers giving a partially interdigated SmAd phase and ...
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