A family of liquid crystalline polyarylenevinylenes

Side-chain liquid crystalline (LC) polyarylenevinylenes, poly-para-phenylenevinylenes (PPVs) and polythienylenevinylenes (PTVs), have been synthesized by introducing LC substituents into arylene units of main chains. Thermal liquid crystallinities of the polymers were elucidated through measurements of polarizing optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction. Macroscopic alignments of the polymers were carried out through rubbing treatments under LC phases. The aligned polymer films showed an enhancement in electrical conductivity as well as electrical anisotropy. The aligned films also exhibited dichroism in fluorescence spectra, implying that they should be useful for novel linearly dichroic luminescent material.