Recent Successes in Structural Studies of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Abstract Liquid crystals are widespread in nature and are synthesized in large amounts for various practical applications which are associated with the unique properties inherent in these compounds. These include the following: practically instant change of the macroproperties (color, light transmission, etc.) under the action of small gradients of stress, electric, magnetic, and thermal fields, and also with a change of chemical composition of the environment [1-7]. A suitable form of visual response to external actions, high sensitivity, and a wide range of “memory” times ensure practically unlimited fields of application for liquid crystal (LC) compounds. There are optical memory; light filters; fast-response optoelectronic gates; polarizers (nematic and smectic LC); temperature, stress, pressure, and chemical composition indicators; TV receivers; displays, and light panels (cholesteric and smectic LC). Due to such diverse fields of application, LC systems should meet a number of design requirements. F...