Concluding Remarks
Liquid crystalline polymers with specific mesogen features are the polymers of
specific class having distinct properties compared to the conventional polymers.
They exhibit a combination of properties of liquid and solid crystal leading to
distinct behavior. The rod-like mesogens that form nematic crystal phases remain
self-aligned and longitudinally oriented in the direction of flow. The polymeric
chains of LCPs show high chain continuity and crystalline behavior in its mesogenic
phase. The fibers made of these materials are of extreme stiffness and strength. This
chapter provides a concise yet informative overview in the field of LCPs, its
synthesis and properties that make them distinct from the conventional polymers
with a special emphasis on its application areas. The attractive combination of
properties of LCPs has captured the interest of the research community to unveil
the immense potential and technological importance of this new class of polymer.
Acknowledgments Authors acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Authors are thankful to Ms. Tanvi Pal for drafting few figures.
References
Allen MP, Warren MA, Wilson MR, Sauron A, Smith W (1996) Molecular dynamics calculation of
elastic constants in Gay–Berne nematic liquid crystals. J Chem Phys 105(7):2850–2858
Broer DJ (1993) Photoinitiated polymerization and crosslinking of liquid-crystalline systems.
In: Fouassier J-P, Rabek JF (eds) Radiation curing in polymer science and technology,
vol 3. Elsevier Applied Science, London, pp 383–443
Broer DJ, Mol GN (1991) Anisotropic thermal expansion of densely cross-linked oriented polymer
networks. Polym Eng Sci 31(9):625–631
Broer DJ, Boven J, Mol GN, Challa G (1989) In-situ photopolymerization of oriented liquidcrystalline acrylates, 3. Oriented polymer networks from a mesogenic diacrylate. Makromol
Chem 190(9):2255–2268
Cresta V, Romano G, Kolpak A, Zalar B, Domenici V (2018) Nanostructured composites based on
liquid-crystalline elastomers. Polymers 10(7):773
De Gennes P-G, Prost J (1993) The physics of liquid crystals. Oxford University Press, New York
de Haan LT, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CM, Schenning AP, Broer DJ (2012) Engineering
of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer networks. Angew
Chem Int Ed 51(50):12469–12472
Dierking I, Al-Zangana S (2017) Lyotropic liquid crystal phases from anisotropic nanomaterials.
Nanomaterials 7(10):305
Ditter D, Chen W-L, Best A, Zappe H, Koynov K, Ober CK, Zentel R (2017) MEMS analogous
micro-patterning of thermotropic nematic liquid crystalline elastomer films using a fluorinated
photoresist and a hard mask process. J Mater Chem C 5(47):12635–12644
Donald AM, Windle AH, Hanna S (2006) Liquid crystalline polymers. Cambridge University Press,
UK
Dunmur D, Sluckin T (2014) Soap, science, and flat-screen TVs: a history of liquid crystals. Oxford
University Press, New York
Ermakov S, Beletskii A, Eismont O, Nikolaev V (2015) Liquid crystals in biotribology: synovial
joint treatment. Springer, Germany
Gleim W, Finkelmann H (1989) Side chain liquid crystalline elastomers. In: McArdle CB (ed) Side
chain liquid crystal polymers. Glasgow Blackie and Son, pp 287–308
24
S. Banerjee and K. K. Kar
Liquid crystalline polymers with specific mesogen features are the polymers of
specific class having distinct properties compared to the conventional polymers.
They exhibit a combination of properties of liquid and solid crystal leading to
distinct behavior. The rod-like mesogens that form nematic crystal phases remain
self-aligned and longitudinally oriented in the direction of flow. The polymeric
chains of LCPs show high chain continuity and crystalline behavior in its mesogenic
phase. The fibers made of these materials are of extreme stiffness and strength. This
chapter provides a concise yet informative overview in the field of LCPs, its
synthesis and properties that make them distinct from the conventional polymers
with a special emphasis on its application areas. The attractive combination of
properties of LCPs has captured the interest of the research community to unveil
the immense potential and technological importance of this new class of polymer.
Acknowledgments Authors acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Authors are thankful to Ms. Tanvi Pal for drafting few figures.
References
Allen MP, Warren MA, Wilson MR, Sauron A, Smith W (1996) Molecular dynamics calculation of
elastic constants in Gay–Berne nematic liquid crystals. J Chem Phys 105(7):2850–2858
Broer DJ (1993) Photoinitiated polymerization and crosslinking of liquid-crystalline systems.
In: Fouassier J-P, Rabek JF (eds) Radiation curing in polymer science and technology,
vol 3. Elsevier Applied Science, London, pp 383–443
Broer DJ, Mol GN (1991) Anisotropic thermal expansion of densely cross-linked oriented polymer
networks. Polym Eng Sci 31(9):625–631
Broer DJ, Boven J, Mol GN, Challa G (1989) In-situ photopolymerization of oriented liquidcrystalline acrylates, 3. Oriented polymer networks from a mesogenic diacrylate. Makromol
Chem 190(9):2255–2268
Cresta V, Romano G, Kolpak A, Zalar B, Domenici V (2018) Nanostructured composites based on
liquid-crystalline elastomers. Polymers 10(7):773
De Gennes P-G, Prost J (1993) The physics of liquid crystals. Oxford University Press, New York
de Haan LT, Sánchez-Somolinos C, Bastiaansen CM, Schenning AP, Broer DJ (2012) Engineering
of complex order and the macroscopic deformation of liquid crystal polymer networks. Angew
Chem Int Ed 51(50):12469–12472
Dierking I, Al-Zangana S (2017) Lyotropic liquid crystal phases from anisotropic nanomaterials.
Nanomaterials 7(10):305
Ditter D, Chen W-L, Best A, Zappe H, Koynov K, Ober CK, Zentel R (2017) MEMS analogous
micro-patterning of thermotropic nematic liquid crystalline elastomer films using a fluorinated
photoresist and a hard mask process. J Mater Chem C 5(47):12635–12644
Donald AM, Windle AH, Hanna S (2006) Liquid crystalline polymers. Cambridge University Press,
UK
Dunmur D, Sluckin T (2014) Soap, science, and flat-screen TVs: a history of liquid crystals. Oxford
University Press, New York
Ermakov S, Beletskii A, Eismont O, Nikolaev V (2015) Liquid crystals in biotribology: synovial
joint treatment. Springer, Germany
Gleim W, Finkelmann H (1989) Side chain liquid crystalline elastomers. In: McArdle CB (ed) Side
chain liquid crystal polymers. Glasgow Blackie and Son, pp 287–308
24
S. Banerjee and K. K. Kar