Combined polymers with lateral substituents

The first chiral combined lc polymers prepared for this purpose showed the desired cholesteric and chiral smectic C phases only at high temperatures (8) (the melting point was always above 100°C). By using lateral substituents (see Figure 3) it is possible however to suppress the melting temperature and to obtain polymers with a glass transition temperature of about room temperature, without losing the cholesteric and chiral smectic C phases (9). 

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