Polymerization in liquid crystal — XVII. Effect of flexible substituents in the mesogenic side-chain on the behaviour of mesogenic polymers☆

Abstract Nine monomers, derivatives of the phenyl ester of acryloyloxybenzoic acid with general were synthesized; X was -(CH 2 ) 6 O-, -(CH 2 ) 2 O- or nothing; R was -O(CH 2 ) 4 H, -OCH 3 , or -H. Polymers from all the monomers were studied by polarization microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical relaxation spectroscopy. It was established that transition temperatures of the polymers, as plotted against the chain length of the spacer as well as of the p -alkoxy substituent, were monotonous functions tending to limiting values. A nematic state was found only for the polymer from p -butoxyphenyl- p ′-acryloyloxy hexoxybenzoate.