Highly ordered methacrylate block copolymers containing liquid crystal side chains

Abstract

Block copolymers composed of cinnamate or biphenyl liquid crystal and fluorinated side chain blocks were synthesized by RAFT polymerization. The block copolymers (BCPs) showed sharp phase separation benefit from the chemistry incompatibility of the fluorinated and the liquid crystal blocks. Both cinnamate and cyano-biphenyl liquid crystal containing BCPs formed highly ordered nanostructures with domain-spacing ranged from 15.6 nm to 12.4 nm. UV exposure could alter the cinnamate containing domain morphology via partially dimerization.