Thermotropic Polyethers and Copolyethers: A New Class of Main Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Abstract

In 1975 deGennes suggested that thermotropic liquid crystalline (LC) main chain polymers might be prepared by incorporating mesogenic and flexible segments in the polymer main chain repeating units.1 In the same year, Roviello and Sirigu provided the first example of thermotropic LC main chain polymers, i.e., poly-alcanoates of p,p′-hydroxy-α,α′-dimethyl benzalazine.2 Since then, several research groups have become actively engaged in the study of thermotropic LC main chain polymers. This new field of polymer chemistry has been recently reviewed.3