Synthesis and characterization of poly(pyridinium salt)s with oxyalkylene units exhibiting amphotropic liquid-crystalline and photoluminescene properties

Several novel poly(pyridinium salt)s with oxyalkylene moieties in the main chain with bulky organic counterions (tosylate and triflimide) were prepared by either the ring-transmutation polymerization of phenylated bis(pyrylium tosylate) salt with a series of oxyalkylene containing diamines in dimethyl sulfoxide on heating for 48 h or the metathesis reaction of the corresponding tosylate polymer with lithium triflimide in methanol. Their chemical structures were determined by elemental analysis and 1H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, and their polyelectrolyte behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide was determined by solution viscosity measurements. Their weight average molecular weights were in the range of 14,000-22,000 and polydispersity indices were in the range of 1.20-1.70 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. They were characterized for their thermotropic and lyotropic liquid-crystalline properties by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing light microscopy. Their light-emitting properties were also determined by using spectrofluorometry.