Synthesis and characterization of rigid-chain liquid-crystalline polymers containing laterally attached side rods

A series of rigid-chain polymers containing different concentrations of laterally attached side rods was synthesized. These polymers exhibited liquid crystallinity even up to a maximum side rod concentration of 20 mol %. The crystallinity of the polymers, however, decreased with an increase in the side-rod concentration. These polymers had lower dielectric constants compared with their parent polymers, that is, similar polymers, but without laterally attached side rods. A dielectric constant of 2.6 can be achieved by incorporating 10 mol % of laterally attached side rods, which is 0.5 lower than that of its parent polymer. The reduction of dielectric constant may be attributed to low crystallinity as well as the less dense packing structure of the polymers induced by the incorporation of laterally attached side rods. This series of polymers also had good thermal stability.