Mesophase Behavior of Polyester-Polymethacrylate Liquid Crystal Block Copolymers

The synthesis and properties of two series of main chain and side chain LC block copolymers constituted by a side chain LC polymethacrylate block and a main chain LC polyester block were described. The two chemically different blocks are phase segregated. The trend of the thermodynamic phase transition parameters suggests that the smectic phase of the side chain blocks provides less favourable boundary conditions than the isotropic phase of the side chain blocks and decreases the stability of both the nematic and smectic mesophases of the main chain block.