The recent developments of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers

Abstract

Abstract The historical development of both main‐chain (M.C.) and side‐chain (S.C.) liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) is presented. Synthetic routes and characterization techniques for LCPs are introduced. Various approaches to reduce the melting points of M.C. LCPs and to increase the mesogenic order of S.C. LCPs are reviewed and evaluated. The criteria to form a liquid crystalline phase are then discussed. Comparisons among thermotropic, lyotropic, and low‐molecular‐weight liquid crystals are also made. It is concluded that the preparation of LCPs has been well developed by the industry, but that the understanding of the formation of LC domains has not been completely understood. The theoretical explanations for some unexpected results are still not available. These anomalies are detailed in this work. Future research activity en LCPs for plastics engineers is also mentioned in this article.