| Abstract: | We synthesized a ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer (4‐4′‐(7‐octeneloxy)benzoyloxy]benzoate‐2‐methylbutyester, OBBM) possessing both carboxyl p‐benzolxybenzoate and carboxyl (s)‐(‐)‐2‐methylbutylester as a mesogenic group in its side chain. The liquid crystalline and styrene monomers were employed to make matrices of microspheres prepared by dispersion, suspension, or emulsion polymerization. In this study, we investigated, in detail, physicochemical properties, thermal responses, and electrooptical responses of the microspheres possessing liquid crystalline abilities. The ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer OBBM had a thermotropic liquid crystalline ability, two‐phase transition temperatures, and a Smectic C* texture, which is characteristic of ferroelectric liquid crystalline substances. The microspheres prepared also exhibited a liquid crystalline ability, and the phase‐transition temperatures toward the liquid crystalline segments into the microspheres prepared by copolymerizing the liquid crystalline and styrene monomers could be decreased with increasing of the styrene monomer. Furthermore, we found that the microspheres remarkably exhibited electrooptical responses at about 8 V. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2490–2499, 2001 |
