Abstract
AbstractSummary: Poly(ethylene oxide)s containing decylthiomethyl (DTP), decylsulfonylmethyl (DSP), methyl‐oligo(ethylene oxide) thiomethyl (MnOTP), methyl‐oligo(ethylene oxide) sulfonylmethyl (MnOSP), decyl‐oligo(ethylene oxide) thiomethyl (DnOTP), and decyl‐oligo(ethylene oxide) sulfonylmethyl (DnOSP) groups in the side‐chains, where n (the number of ethylene oxide units) = 1, 2, 3, or 4 for DnOTP and DnOSP, and n = 2, 3, or 7 for MnOTP and MnOSP, were synthesized to study the effect of the structure of the side‐chains on the ordered phases of the polymers. All of the MnOSPs, as well as M2OTP and M3OTP, were found to be amorphous polymers. DTP, M7OTP, D1OTP, D2OTP, and D3OTP showed crystalline phases below their isotropic temperatures. DSP, D1OSP, D2OSP, D3OSP, D4OSP, and D4OTP were found to be liquid crystalline. Therefore, the phase separation facilitated by the introduction of the sulfone group and/or by the addition of the longer ethylene oxide units between the ethylene oxide backbones and the hydrophobic decyl tails was found to be a key factor in the formation of the liquid crystalline phases. These ordered phases were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction.Schematic illustration of the structures of poly(ethylene oxide) brushes showing liquid crystalline phases.imageSchematic illustration of the structures of poly(ethylene oxide) brushes showing liquid crystalline phases.
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