Inverse gas chromatography study of poly(dimethyl siloxane)—liquid crystal mixtures

Inverse gas chromatographic (IGC) measurements are reported for 17 hydrocarbon probes on a low molar mass hexyloxycyanobiphenyl liquid crystal (LC) mixed with linear poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). The retention properties are compared with a side-chain liquid crystalline bearing the same mesogen. The results show that the retention of the LC polymer is significantly different from a mixture with the same composition. DSC and IGC values for the transition temperatures indicate that PDMS does not blend with HCB although some interactions, characterised by a Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, were seen and some effect on the liquid crystalline behaviour was noted. The usefulness and limitations of the IGC technique for characterising this type of polymer–LC system are discussed.