Morphology and crystal structure of random, main chain, semi-flexible, thermotropic liquid crystal polymers

The crystal structure and morphology of random, main chain, thermotropic liquid crystal polymers (LCP's) of equimolar amounts of the following structural units (with n equal to 4, 5, 6 and 7 in "A") have been examined by electron microscopy and diffraction:(DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE SEE DAI).;When crystallized from the liquid crystal state in the form of thin films, the polymer forms a 50-70A lamellar texture. Electron diffraction reveals an orthorhombic unit cell (a = 8.34A and b = 5.10A). Similar results were obtained with the 4, 6 and 7 carbon spacer LCP's. The observations can only be interpreted in terms of chain folding, the flexibility of the "spacer" along the polymers backbone permitting folding to occur. High temperature electron diffraction shows little change in positional ordering above the crystal-liquid crystal transition temperature. Rapid quenching from the liquid crystal state produces a ribbon-like morphology with the molecules oriented perpendicular to the long direction of the ribbons.;Shearing the 7 carbon spacer LCP in the liquid crystal state results in ;Single crystals of the 7 carbon flexible spacer LCP have been grown from dilute solution. This is the first report of solution grown single crystals of a liquid crystalline polymer. The crystals thicken (from ;Extruded pellets of the 7 carbon flexible spacer LCP resemble a composite material with 0.2 ;The results suggest significant degrees of chain folding in the liquid crystal state since it is unexpected that previously extended, nematically packed chains would fold during the liquid crystal-crystal transition.