Self-organization of liquid crystalline 3,4,5-tris[(11-methacryloyl-undecyl-1-oxy)-4-benzyloxy]benzoates in low-shrinkage methacrylate mixtures

Crystallization and supramolecular aggregation of 3,4,5-tris[(11-methacryloyl-undecyl-1-oxy)-4-benzyloxy]benzoate (1), 2-methyl-(1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxabenzocyclopentadecane)-3,4,5-tris[(11-methacryloyl-undecyl-1-oxy)-4-benzoxyloxy]benzoate (2) and its 1 : 1 sodium triflate complex (2a) are described in solutions of methacrylate monomers. Formation of gels and subsequent polymerization yielded “supramolecular interpenetrating networks” consisting of an isotropic polymethacrylate resin, percolated by supramolecular aggregates of the solute, which are covalently connected to the resin phase. Compound 1 formed whisker-type crystals, while 2 self-organizes in networks of elongated supramolecular fibrils with diameters corresponding to the twofold length of one molecule.