Synthesis and thermal properties of side‐chain liquid‐crystalline poly(glycidyl ethers) with racemic and chiral backbone

Oxiranes bearing a 4‐cyanobiphenyl‐4′‐oxy mesogenic group with spacers of different length have been synthesized from glycidyl p‐toluenesulfonate or epichlorohydrin (racemic or optically active). These monomers were polymerized with anionic initiators (CsOH, tBuOK tBu: tert‐butyl, Et: ethyl. ) or a chelate initiator (AlEt3/H2O/acetylacetone ). A transfer of chirality from the polymer backbone to the mesophase is observed for polyethers with a short spacer. A cholesteric phase is observed for the optically active polymer while the racemic polymer is nematic. Increasing the length of the spacer leads to a smectic mesophase. However, in that case, the effect of the chiral centre of the polymer backbone on the mesomorphous properties is not detected.