Discotic Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Structure and Chemistry

Abstract

Mutual share of properties by Liquid Crystals and Polymers, provide a class of anisotropic materials with mechanical and thermal stability, commonly known as Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCPs). LCPs containing Disc-shape mesogense are Discotic liquid crystalline polymers. Based on their position and connectivity in polymer backbone they can be divided into (a) discotic main chain (b) discotic side chain (c) discotic elastomers (d) discotic dendritic (e) discotic hyperbranched and (f) discotic metallomesogenic liquid crystalline polymers. An effort can be made to set a trend in the variation of physical properties of these polymers, based on various discogens, side chains and polymer back bones, on the basis of literature available.