Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polyesters Using Aromatic Rigid Diols, Unsaturated Fumaric Acid and Flexible Sebacic Acid

In the present study, seven different series of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters (TLCPs) containing unsaturated fumaroyl chloride and flexible sebacoyl chloride were synthesized using the interfacial polymerization methodology. Homopolyesters prepared with saturated flexible spacer such as sebacoyl chloride were mesomorphic whereas homopolyesters synthesized using unsaturated aliphatic spacer such as fumaroyl chloride that was non-mesomorphic. Aromatic diad and triad based mesogenic diols were selected as rigid moiety for liquid crystalline phase formation. Within each series, copolyesters were synthesized by varying relative mole ratio of the above two aliphatic diacid chlorides. Most of the liquid crystalline polyesters showed solubility in phenol:tetrachloroethane (60:40) at 40 ᵒC.