Acetylene polymers and their use as liquid crystals

Abstract

There is disclosed a liquid crystalline polyacetylene having a repeat structure of the formula where spa is a spacer group and mes is a mesogenic substituent.

1 . A liquid crystalline polyacetylene having a repeat structure of the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where spa is a spacer group and mes is a mesogenic substituent.  
     
     
         2 . A polymer according to  claim 1  in which the mesogenic substituent comprises a substituted biphenyl group.  
     
     
         3 . A polymer according to  claim 1  in which the spacer group comprises an alkyl chain.  
     
     
         4 . A polymer according to  claim 3  having a repeat structure of the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where: n is greater than 1; and A, B and C are polar moieties.  
     
     
         5 . A polymer according to  claim 4  in which A is selected from the group consisting of COO, OCO and O; B is selected from the group consisting of COO, OCO and O; and C is selected from the group consisting of CN, OH, CO 2 H, OR, CO 2 R or OCOR where R is an alkyl group.  
     
     
         6 . A polymer according to  claim 5  in which A is COO, B is OCO and C is O(CH 2 ) 6 CH 3 .  
     
     
         7 . Poly{[4-({[6-({[4′-(heptyl)oxy-4-biphenylyl]carbonyl}oxy)hexyl]oxy}carbonyl)phenyl]acetylene}.  
     
     
         8 . [4-({[6-({[4′-(heptyl)oxy-4-biphenlyl]carbonyl}oxy)hexyl]oxy}carbonyl)phenyl]acetylene.  
     
     
         9 . A substituted acetylene having the formula HC≡C-spal-mes, where spal is a spacer group and mes is a mesogenic substituent selected from the group consisting of:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein A, B and D are polar moieties, E is a polar moiety which is not cyano or methoxy, spa2 is a spacer group, and R is H or an alkyl group.  
     
     
         10 . An acetylene according to  claim 9  in which spal and/or spa2 comprises an alkyl chain.  
     
     
         11 . An acetylene according to  claim 9  in which A and B are selected from the group consisting of: OCO, COO and O.  
     
     
         12 . An acetylene according to  claim 9  in which E is selected from the group consisting of: OH, CO 2 H, O (CH 2 ) m−1 CH 3 , OCO(CH 2 ) m−1 CH 3 , and CO 2 (CH 2 ) m−1 CH 3  where m is greater than one.  
     
     
         13 . An acetylene according to  claim 9  in which D is selected from the group consisting of: CN, OH, CO 2 H, OR′, COOR′ and where R′ is an alkyl group.  
     
     
         14 . 5-{[(4′-{[(undecyl)carbonyl]oxy}-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxy}-1-pentyne.  
     
     
         15 . 6-{[(4′-{[(undecyl)carbonyl]oxy}-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxy}-1-hexyne.  
     
     
         16 . 5-[(4′-{[(undecyl)carbonyl]oxy}-biphenyl-4-yl)oxy]-1-pentyne.  
     
     
         17 . 4-{[({[(4′-[(nonyl)oxy]-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxy}hexyl)oxy]carbonyl}-1-butyne.  
     
     
         18 . 10-{[({[(4′-[(nonyl)oxy]-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxy}hexyl)oxy]carbonyl}-1-decyne.  
     
     
         19 . 5-[({[(4′-[(hexyl)oxy]-biphenyl-4-yl)oxy]hexyl}oxy)carbonyl]-1-pentyne.  
     
     
         20 . 10-[({[(4′[(hexyl)oxy]-biphenyl-4-yl)oxy]hexyl}oxy)carbonyl]-1-decyne.  
     
     
         21 . 5-({[(4-{[(hexyl)oxy]phenyl}oxy)carbonyl]phenyl}oxy)-1-pentyne.  
     
     
         22 . A polyacetylene polymer polymerised from a substituted acetylene monomer according to any of  claims 9  to  21 .  
     
     
         23 . A liquid crystalline polyacetylene polymerised form a substituted acetylene monomer according to any of  claims 9  to  21 .  
     
     
         24 . An acetylene according to any one of claims of  9  to  21  in liquid crystalline form.