Liquid crystal polymers with terminally 1‐ phenyl −2‐(4‐cyanophenyl)‐ethane substituted side chains

The synthesis of a series of liquid crystalline side‐chain polyacrylates with oligoether spacers and 1‐(4‐benzoyloxyphenyl)‐2‐(4 ‐cyanophenyl)ethane mesogenic moiety is reported. Polymers were prepared by radical polymerization of the corresponding acrylate monomers. The liquid crystalline nature of these polymers was established by calorimetric measurements, optical texture observations and X‐ray investigations. For the polymer with the diethylene oxide spacer (EO dimer), the unusual I‐N‐SAd‐Nre sequence was observed. For the polymer with the trimer spacer, only “fluid” smectic phases were evidenced.