SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(OXY-1,4-PHENYLENEOXYCARBONYL-1,4-PHENYLENEOXYPOLYMETHYLENE)S

A multistep synthetic route for the preparation of a series of poly(oxy-1,4-phenyleneoxycarbonyl-1,4-phenyleneoxypolymethylene)s having a varying length of the polymethylene spacer from the di- to the hexamethylene group is reported. The polymers prepared were characterized particularly for their liquid crystalline properties by differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffractometry and observation of their textures on a polarizing optical microscope. All the polymers, with the exception of the trimethylene polymer, formed the nematic phase in melt. They exhibited the well known odd-even effect at melting temperature as well as at isotropization temperature.