| Abstract: | Three aromatic (p‐carboxyl phenyl) esters, 4‐(benzoyloxy) benzoic acid, 4‐(4′‐methylbenzoyloxy) benzoic acid, and 4‐(4′‐chlorobenzoyloxy) benzoic acid, were synthesized and they showed nematic monotropic or thermotropic behavior. The mesogen‐linked cellulose acetates were first prepared by the reaction of aromatic (p‐carboxyl phenyl) esters with cellulose acetate through esterification in the presence of N,N‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 4‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). Their degrees of mesogenic unit substitution (DS‐meso) were between 0.27 and 0.41. It was found that they can form cholesteric lyotropic phases in dichloroacetic acid and their critical concentration was about 25 wt %. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2693–2697, 2004 |
