Synthesis and Phase Behavior of (Semifluorinated Alkane)‐Based Side‐Chain Liquid Crystalline Copolymers

Side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP) usually contains a simple and flexible homopolymer as main chain, while its effect on the self-assembly behavior is often ignored. In this work, in order to increase the structural complexity and investigate the interaction between the main chain and mesogens, perfluorinated segments are introduced into the main chain using a photoinduced Step Transfer-Addition & Radical-Termination polymerization method, producing a novel series of SCLCPs containing 4-methoxyphenyl benzoate mesogens, soft hydrocarbon spacers, and a strictly alternating perfluoroalkyl and alkyl backbone. By adjusting the length of spacers or perfluoroalkyl segments, several mesophases with complex chain packing structures are achieved. This design strategy that constructing highly ordered liquid crystalline (LC) structures from SCLCPs with precise chemical structure provides a facile way toward novel LC nanomaterials.