Side‐chain liquid‐crystalline polyacrylates containing heterocyclic mesogenic groups, 1. Influence of the substituent and the number of phenyl groups on the mesomorphous properties

Synthesis and preliminary results on the characterization of liquid‐crystalline polyacrylates with trans‐1,3‐dioxane‐2,5‐diyl group in the side chain are presented. A stabilization of the mesophases occurs when two phenyl groups are present in the mesogenic moiety. All polymers with three rings exhibit SA mesophases except for poly(6‐[trans‐2‐(4‐(4‐methoxybenzoyloxy)phenyl)1,3‐dioxane‐5‐yl]hexyl acrylate) which presents a nematic phase over 200°C and is potentially useful as host matrix for applications in non‐linear optics.