Synthesis of side chain liquid crystal polymers by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization. 4. Synthesis of AB block copolymers containing amorphous and side chain liquid crystal blocks

Polymers were prepared by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization employing Mo(CH-t-Bu)(NAr)(O-t-Bu) 2 (Ar=2,6-C 6 H 3 -i-Pr 2 ) as the initiator. Norbornene, 5-cyano-2-norbornene, and methyltetracyclododecene were used for the amorphous polymer block and n-[((4'-methoxy-4-biphenyl)yl)oxy]alkyl bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-5-carborylates (1-n, n=3, 6) were used for the side-chain liquid crystal (SCLC) block. Block copolymers with monomer ratios from 75/25 to 20/80 (amorphous/SCLCP) and narrow molecular weight distributions were obtained in high yield.