Thermotropic Mesophases in Element-Organic Polymers

A New Series of Two-Ring-Based Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Synthesis and Mesophase Characterization

A new series of side chain liquid crystalline polymers containing a core, a butamethylenoxy spacer, ester groups, and terminal alkoxy groups were synthesised and their structures were confirmed. The core was constructed with two phenyl rings and an ester linking unit. All the polymers were characterised by hot-stage polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, variable temperature X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and gel permeation chromato-graphy. The polymers were found to be liquid crystalline. The nematic and smectic A (SA) phases were observed for the homologues with short-terminal chains (C2 and C6), whereas the homologues with longer chains (C8 to C12) exhibited a smectic C phase. The thermal stability of the polymers was found to be in the range of 293 to 326°C and the molecular weights of the polymers were found to vary from 6 × 103 to 1.3 × 104.

Tris-cis-tris-trans-dodeca[organo(dimethylorganosiloxy)]cyclododecasiloxanes {RSi(O)[OSiMe2R']}12. Self-ordering features

The molecular order and thermotropic transitions of tris-cis-tris-trans-dodeca- [organo(dimethylorganosiloxy)]cyclododecasiloxanes {RSi(O)[OSiMe(2)R']}(12) (R = Ph, R' = Me, CH(2)Cl, Vi; R = Me, Et, Vi, R' = Me) have been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray scattering. The cyclododecasiloxanes with phenyl side groups (R = Ph) can form mesomorphic structures within a very wide temperature range. Compounds with R = Me and Vi are liquids and exhibit microphase separation above their glass transition temperature because of the different nature and structure of the organic R and trimethylsiloxy OSiMe(3) side groups. When the side group R = Et, a mesomorphic structure is formed in a substantially more narrow temperature region than that for cycles containing phenyl groups. Thus, the type of side group R in organocyclododecasiloxanes determines their ability for self-ordering into mesomorphic structures and the thermal stability of the mesomorphic state.

X-ray reflectivity study of ultrathin liquid films of diphenylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymers

Using X-ray reflectivity, we observe drastic differences in the interfacial structure and molecular ordering of diphenylsiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer thin films deposited on hydroxylated versus H-terminated (etched) silicon wafers. We find that substrate type and comonomer ratio determine the conformational arrangements in these liquid films. High-energy bonding between the substrate and the molecules and an increase in rigidity of the molecules due to replacement of methyl groups by phenyl groups leads to a specific molecular ordering at the liquid/solid interface and pronounced density oscillations in this region. The observed structural reorganizations are explained by the interplay and the established balance between the chain flexibility and the polymer-substrate interactions.

Structural characterization of poly(diethylsiloxane) in the crystalline, liquid crystalline and isotropic phases by solid-state 17O NMR spectroscopy and ab initio MO calculations

The structure of poly(diethylsiloxane) (PDES) has been characterized using solid-state NMR of (17)O. The sample studied had a weight-average molecular weight of 2.45 x 10(5). The sample was prepared by utilizing the cationic ring-opening polymerization of (17)O-enriched hexacyclotrisiloxane. Solid-state NMR of (17)O-enriched PDES was measured on the low-temperature beta(1) phase, the high-temperature beta(2) phase, the two-phase system consisting of the liquid crystal and isotropic liquid phase and the isotropic phase. From these data, the molecular structure and dynamics of PDES in the various phases were characterized via the chemical shifts of (17)O, and electric field gradient parameters were determined from NMR and ab initio molecular orbital (MO) calculations. In addition to the solid-state NMR of (1)H, (13)C and (29)Si previously reported on these samples, knowledge of the dynamic behavior of PDES as inferred from the NMR of (17)O in the present study was enhanced significantly. Further, the potential of combining the experimental NMR of (17)O with ab initio MO calculations to characterize the dynamics of polymers containing oxygen is demonstrated.

New approach to characterise physicochemical properties of solid substrates by inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution. II. Study of the transition temperatures of poly(methyl methacrylate) at various tacticities and of poly(methyl methacrylate) adsorbed on alumina and silica

The determination of the temperature transitions in polymers and more particularly when polymers are adsorbed on oxides is very important in many industrial processes. In this second part, we used inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution to determine the second order transition temperatures of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) adsorbed (or not) on alumina or on silica. Three types of PMMA were used: atactic (a), syndiotactic (syndio) and isotactic (iso). The IGC technique allowed to obtain the net retention volume Vn and the dispersive component of the surface energy gamma(s)d for various theoretical models of molecules, using the results of Part I. By plotting RT ln Vn as a function of (1/T) or gamma(s)d as a function of the temperature T, we proved the presence of three particular temperatures that correspond respectively to the transition temperature relative to beta-relaxation (Tbeta), the glass transition temperature (Tg), and the liquid-liquid transition temperature or order-disorder transition (T1.1). Results obtained in this part allowed us to show the effect of the tacticity of PMMA and the recovery fraction of polymer adsorbed on alumina or silica on the transition temperatures.