Side chain mesomorphic polymers : studies of labelled backbones by neutron scattering

Abstract

Side chain liquid crystal polymers are studied in the isotropic, nematic and smectic phases. The samples are made from a mixture of liquid crystal polymethacrylate with deuterated or protonated backbones. The samples are studied with neutron diffraction and small angle neutron scattering. The results show in particular that in the aligned smectic phase the backbone is highly anisotropic and confined within a smectic layer. The backbone labelling shows local bilayered order.