9526394 Hammond This project will attempt the design and synthesis of thermoplastic liquid crystalline elastomers (LCTPE's) which can be processed using traditional plastics processing techniques. These polymer systems consist of block or segmented copolymers in which hard or rigid blocks alternate with flexible side chain liquid crystalline polymer. The reversibility of the thermoplastic "crosslink" with temperature will provide new routes to the formation of highly anisotropic elastomeric systems through orientation induced during plastic processing. A new level of control in the supramolecular ordering can be achieved with these systems that is not accessible with crosslinked liquid crystalline elastomers; the degree and type of orientation in an LCTPE sample may be altered simply by changing thermoplastic processing parameters. The resulting elastomeric materials are expected to exhibit enhanced mechano- and electro-optic properties. The synthesis of LCTPE's will further our understanding of liquid crystalline behavior in two phase polymer systems, particularly, elastomeric two phase systems. The effects of domain interfaces on nematic, smectic and chiral smectic phases will be examined, as well as the effect of domain confinement on liquid crystalline electro-optic and mechano- optic behavior. %%% It is hoped that this work will form the basis of a new area of research in the coupling of liquid crystalline behavior with the supramolecular structures possible from two-phase polymer morphologies and the added control and orientation gained from thermoplastic processing. ***
