Chiral side chain copolymers, 4. Kinetics of the phase transition from liquid melt to an amorphous phase with a hidden layer structure - the "isotropic smectic" state

• Published in: Macromolecular chemistry and physics Vol. 201; no. 17; pp. 2377 - 2384
• Main Authors: Kozlovsky, Mikhail V., Meier, Johann G., Stumpe, Joachim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH 01-11-2000; WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Properties and characterization; Thermal and thermodynamic properties; Fluorine containing copolymer; Thermotropic state; Experimental study; Phase transitions; Mechanism; Azo compound; Optically active copolymer; Side chain; Liquid crystal polymers; Liquid smectic transformation; Light sensitive copolymer; Mesophase; Kinetics; Methacrylate copolymer
• ISSN: 1022-1352; 1521-3935
• DOI: 10.1002/1521-3935(20001101)201:17<2377::AID-MACP2377>3.0.CO;2-N

The kinetically controlled mesophase formation has been observed for a series of photochromic side chain copolymethacrylates. Up to 25% of azobenzene dichroic moieties, the copolymers form an optically isotropic mesophase with layer ordering – the “isotropic smectic” phase, IsoSm*. The kinetics of the Iso‐IsoSm* phase transition, as studied by DSC and X‐ray techniques, in some cases cannot be explained in terms of a single Avrami equation. A two‐step mechanism is suggested including the transformation from the monolayer to the bilayer structure. The dependence of the transition temperature on annealing temperature has been estimated.