Chiral side-chain liquid crystalline polysiloxanes bearing fluorinated mesogens and cholesteryl groups

A series of chiral side-chain liquid crystalline (LC) polysiloxanes bearing fluorinated mesogens were synthesized with a cholesteric LC monomer and a fluorinated nematic LC monomer. They were characterized by use of various experimental techniques, and effect of fluorinated mesogens on characteristic of LC polysiloxanes was studied as well. In photoluminescence spectra, a narrow and a broad peak occur at around 270–317 nm, originated, respectively, from fluorinated phenyl groups and the conjugated xenene structure. The specific rotation analysis of all polymers showed negative values, but absolute values were lower than those of the chiral monomers. All polymers showed smectic LC phase with very wide temperature ranges on heating and cooling cycles. Especially, only polymers bearing more fluorinated component exhibited smectic–cholesteric phase transition when they were heated. As the polymers contained more fluorinated mesogens, segregation of the fluorinated segment to the surface should occur at mesomorphic temperature. The highly ordered lamellar mesogen–siloxane matrix systems should be disturbed severely by separation of fluorinated mesogens, suggesting mesogenic orders transition from lamellar smectic to cholesteric phase.