Spacer groups, supramolecular polymers

They are expected to possess unique properties due to the lability of the non-covalent bonds, and, from a synthetic viewpoint, many of the usual molecular parameters that control the PLC characteristics can be more easily accessible. The latter include the length and type of spacer and tail, the type of mesogen, the type of polymer backbone, and the molar mass and polydispersity of the polymer. Additional molecular parameters are introduced in conjunction with the choice of functional groups. Furthermore, a number of useful functional polymers are available either commercially or through straightforward synthetic methods. It is also a simple matter to obtain a variety of supramolecular copolymer PLCs and network PLCs, as well as, in principle, a variety of other architectures. A number of examples of these aspects have been given in this review. 

Figure 6 Schematic representation of two types of isodesmic growth (a) supramolecular polymerization of a rigid discotic monomer into a linear SP and (b) supramolecular polymerization of a bifunctional monomer bearing two binding groups connected by a spacer. The association constant for each iterative addition of monomer to the growing polymer chain is defined as the ratio of the rate constants of association to dissociation /fa = /fi//Ci).

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