Blend Electrolyte Solution Showing Smectic A for Electro-synthesis of π-Conjugated Polymer

Haoyue Shen; Masashi Otaki; Hiromasa Goto

Haoyue Shen
Masashi Otaki
Hiromasa Goto Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Keywords: liquid crystal, blend LC, electrochemical polymerization, smectic A phase, chessboard-like texture

Abstract

(S)-4-Cyano-4'-(4,8-dimethylnonyl)biphenyl abbreviated as DM9CB was synthesized. A chiral liquid crystal blend system (LC-blend) of octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB)/DM9CB was prepared, although DM9CB shows no liquid crystal phase alone at room temperature. The LC blend shows a chessboard-like texture under polarizing microscopy (POM) observations at 43 ℃. This chessboard-like texture is assigned to smectic A phase with layer structure. Electrochemical polymerization in this LC-blend system produces π-conjugated polymer having smectic order.