Liquid crystalline polymers synthetic routes

Conventional principles and methods concern the synthetic routes for macromo-lecular networks and the realization of the liquid crystalline state by mesogenic monomer tmits. Network chemistry has to consider the reactivity and functionality of the monomer tuiits. In most cases, this excludes ionic polymerization techniques and reduces utihzable methods to radical polymerization and polymer analog reactions for side chain networks, and to polycondensation or polyadditirai reactions for main chain elastomers. The chemistry of the crosslinking process and the chemical constitution of the crosslinker have to be adapted to the polymerization process. Applying photo-chemistry of suitable functional mmiomer units opens an additional, versatile pathway to build up the network structure. 

Donnio B, Wermter H, Finkelmann H (2000) A simple and versatile synthetic route for the preparation of main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers. Macromolecules 33 7724—7729 Finkelmann H (1987) Liquid crystal polymers. Chap 1. In Gray GW (ed) Thermotropic liquid crystals. Wiley, Chichester, pp 1-27... 

Chemical modification of natural polymers such as starch, dextran, cellulose and proteins represents an attractive alternative route to totally synthetic polymers for producing biodegradable polymers. Early modification of polysaccharides resulted in hydrophobic materials such as cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate. Both are degradable by microorganisms. Hydroxyalkylcelluloses should be of interest because of their liquid crystalline properties.The only question is whether their biodegradability is unified. Polysaccharides react with small carboxylic acids to produce derivatives that are biodegradable. " ... 

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