Synthesis and characterization of novel liquid crystalline polymers containing cholesteryl pendant groups

In order to investigate the chiral effect of cholesteryl pendant groups on the induction of the cholesteric phase, a new cholesteryl-containing liquid crystalline monomer was synthesized and copolymerized with an achiral comonomer in various molar ratios. The layer-like arrangement of the smectic mesophase with different monomeric compositions of copolymers was investigated using an X-ray diffraction analysis. The cholesteric liquid phase was induced by the chiral segments; the dependence of the reciprocal central reflection wavelength on the mole fraction of the chiral monomer for copolymers was investigated. This paper demonstrates the effect of chiral pendant groups on the induction of the cholesteric phase and layered molecular arrangement of side-chain liquid crystalline polymers.