| Abstract: | A new class of main‐chain liquid‐crystalline photodimerizable vanillylidene‐containing alkylpolyphosphate esters were synthesized from 2,5‐bis[m‐hydroxyalkyloxy(vanillylidene)] cyclopentanones with various alkylphosphoro‐ dichloridates by solution polycondensation in chloroform at ambient temperature. Their chemical structures were confirmed by FT‐IR, 1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopic analysis. Dilute‐solution viscosity values were measured in order to obtain the intrinsic viscosities of the synthesized polymers. Mesogenic properties and phase behavior were investigated by the use of hot‐stage optical polarized microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that all of the polymers were stable up to 170–230 °C and decomposed with high char yields. The shorter methylene‐chain‐containing polymers did not show a liquid‐crystalline phase, while the longer methylene‐chain‐ containing polymers showed grainy and nematic textures. The Tg, Tm and Ti values of the polymers decreased with increasing flexible methylene chain length in the polymer backbones. The photocrosslinking properties of the polymers were studied by UV light/UV spectroscopy; the crosslinking proceeds via 2π–2π cycloaddition reactions of the vanillylidene exocyclic double bonds of the polymers. The rate of crosslinking was faster for the pendant ethoxy‐containing polymers than that of the pendant methoxy‐containing polymers. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry |
