Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens

In recent years, π-conjugated liquid crystalline molecules with optoelectronic functionalities have garnered considerable attention, and integrating these molecules into side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) holds potential for developing devices that are operational near room temperature....

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Main Authors: Gen-ichi Konishi, Yuki Sawatari, Riki Iwai, Takuya Tanaka, Yoshimichi Shimomura, Masatoshi Tokita
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/21/5220
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author Gen-ichi Konishi
Yuki Sawatari
Riki Iwai
Takuya Tanaka
Yoshimichi Shimomura
Masatoshi Tokita
author_facet Gen-ichi Konishi
Yuki Sawatari
Riki Iwai
Takuya Tanaka
Yoshimichi Shimomura
Masatoshi Tokita
author_sort Gen-ichi Konishi
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, π-conjugated liquid crystalline molecules with optoelectronic functionalities have garnered considerable attention, and integrating these molecules into side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) holds potential for developing devices that are operational near room temperature. However, it is difficult to design SCLCPs with excellent processability because liquid crystalline mesogens are rigid rods, have low solubility in organic solvents, and have a high isotropization temperature. Recently, we developed near-room-temperature π-conjugated nematic liquid crystals based on “bridged stilbene”. In this work, we synthesized a polyacrylate SCLCP incorporating a bridged stilbene that exhibited a nematic phase near room temperature and could maintain liquid crystallinity for more than three months. We conducted a thorough phase structure analysis and evaluated the optical properties. The birefringence values of the resulting polymers were higher than those of the corresponding monomers because of the enhanced order parameters due to the polymer effect. In addition, the synthesized polymers inherited mesogen-derived AIE properties, with high quantum yields (<i>Φ</i><sub>fl</sub> = 0.14–0.35) in the solid state. It is noteworthy that the maximum fluorescence wavelength exhibited a redshift of greater than 27 nm as a consequence of film formation. Thus, several unique characteristics of the SCLCPs are unattainable with small molecular systems.
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spelling doaj-art-1a2286e6d94342f39f59929ece82b4db2025-08-20T02:49:56ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492024-11-012921522010.3390/molecules29215220Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene MesogensGen-ichi Konishi0Yuki Sawatari1Riki Iwai2Takuya Tanaka3Yoshimichi Shimomura4Masatoshi Tokita5Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanDepartment of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanDepartment of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanDepartment of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanDepartment of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanDepartment of Chemical Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8552, JapanIn recent years, π-conjugated liquid crystalline molecules with optoelectronic functionalities have garnered considerable attention, and integrating these molecules into side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) holds potential for developing devices that are operational near room temperature. However, it is difficult to design SCLCPs with excellent processability because liquid crystalline mesogens are rigid rods, have low solubility in organic solvents, and have a high isotropization temperature. Recently, we developed near-room-temperature π-conjugated nematic liquid crystals based on “bridged stilbene”. In this work, we synthesized a polyacrylate SCLCP incorporating a bridged stilbene that exhibited a nematic phase near room temperature and could maintain liquid crystallinity for more than three months. We conducted a thorough phase structure analysis and evaluated the optical properties. The birefringence values of the resulting polymers were higher than those of the corresponding monomers because of the enhanced order parameters due to the polymer effect. In addition, the synthesized polymers inherited mesogen-derived AIE properties, with high quantum yields (<i>Φ</i><sub>fl</sub> = 0.14–0.35) in the solid state. It is noteworthy that the maximum fluorescence wavelength exhibited a redshift of greater than 27 nm as a consequence of film formation. Thus, several unique characteristics of the SCLCPs are unattainable with small molecular systems.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/21/5220side-chain liquid crystalline polymernematic liquid crystalpolyacrylateπ-conjugated mesogenbirefringenceaggregation-induced emission
spellingShingle Gen-ichi Konishi
Yuki Sawatari
Riki Iwai
Takuya Tanaka
Yoshimichi Shimomura
Masatoshi Tokita
Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
Molecules
side-chain liquid crystalline polymer
nematic liquid crystal
polyacrylate
π-conjugated mesogen
birefringence
aggregation-induced emission
title Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
title_full Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
title_fullStr Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
title_full_unstemmed Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
title_short Synthesis of Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polyacrylates with Bridged Stilbene Mesogens
title_sort synthesis of side chain liquid crystalline polyacrylates with bridged stilbene mesogens
topic side-chain liquid crystalline polymer
nematic liquid crystal
polyacrylate
π-conjugated mesogen
birefringence
aggregation-induced emission
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/21/5220
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