Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Networks and Mechanical Properties

3 Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Networks and Mechanical Properties 

The displays were fabricated in three steps first the FLCP was deposited onto an ITO coated polymeric substrate, then the counter electrode (another ITO-coated substrate) was put onto the FLCP film, and the formed sandwich was laminated. Finally, the laminated three-layer film was treated by a bending process to obtain the required alignment of the side chains (Fig. 27). These 

Crosslinking liquid crystalline polymers yield materials with exceptional properties due to the coupling between elastic properties and mesomorphous behavior. These compounds, especially the mesogenic elastomers, have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Like conventional elastomers, they can sustain very large deformations causing molecular extension and orientation, but they can also exhibit spontaneous distortions, some memory effects, an unusual mechanical response, and coupling between mechanical, optical and electric fields. 

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Finkelmann reported synthesis of a novel cross-linked smectic-C main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomer that was formed by polycondensation of vinyloxy-terminated mesogens, tetramethyldi-siloxane, and pentamethyl-pentaoxapentasilicane. The introduction of the functional vinyloxy group allows the synthesis of well-defined networks with good mechanical properties due to ehmination of side reactions as in the case of vinyl groups [60]. 

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