Ferroelectric liquid-crystalline side group polymers - spacer length variation and comparison with the monomers

The phase behaviour and the ferroelectric properties of liquid-crystalline side group polyacrylates containing an (R)-4''(1-methylheptyloxy)-4'-biphenylyloxycarbonyl-4-phenoxy moiety are compared with the properties of their monomers. A S*C phase polymorphism including monolayer and bilayer structures was found for the polymers. Some of the S*C subphases, consisting of smectic mono- or bi-layers, do not exhibit ferroelectric properties. These unusual properties do not exist for the corresponding monomeric acrylates. Therefore, one has to take into account that the polymer chain exerts a strong influence on the phase behaviour and the ferroelectric properties

Electrooptical investigation on the three switching states of a chiral smectic side group polymer

Electrooptical properties of a polyacrylate with 1,3-dioxolane-4-carboxylic acid as chiral building block terminally attached to phenylpyridine mesogenic moiety and linked via a C11 spacer were studied. Results showed that the formation of 3 switching states for the polymer occurred upon conformational interactions between the side groups and the main chain