• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2008

The thermal and optical properties of cellulose tri(cholesteryloxy) carbonate(CCE0) and cellulose tri(cholesteryloxycarbonyl)alkanoates (CCEn, n=$2{\sim}8$, 10, the number of methylene units in the spacer) were investigated. CCE0 formed an enantiotropic cholesteric phase, whereas all the CCEn exhibited monotropic cholesteric phases. CCEn with n=$3{\sim}8$ formed cholesteric phases with left-handed helical structures whose optical pitches (${\lambda}_m's$) decrease with increasing temperature. On the other hand, CCE0 and CCEn with n=2 or 10 did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helical twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length of the spacer connecting the cholesteryl group to the main chain. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase and the temperature dependence of the ${\lambda}_m$ observed for CCEn highly depended on n. The results were discussed in terms of the differences in the internal plasticization, the arrangement of the side groups, and the conformation of the molecules.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2006

Poly[1-(cholesteryloxycarbonyloxy)ethylene](PCOE) and poly[1-(cholesteryloxycarbonylheptanoyloxy)ethylene] (PCOSE) were prepared by reacting poly(vinyl alcohol) with cholesteryl chloroformate or 8-cholesteryloxycarbonylheptanoly] chloride (CH8C), and their thermal and optical properties were investigated. CH8C formed a monotropic cholesteric phase whereas PCOE and PCOSE exihibited enantiotropic cholesteric phases. Like in the case of CH8C, the optical pitch $(\lambda_m)$ of PCOSE decreased with increasing temperature. PCOE, contrast with PCOSE, did not display reflection colors, suggesting that the helical twisting power or the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length or the spacer joining the cholesteryl group to the main chain. The mesophase properties of PCOE and PCOSE were entirely different from those of poly $(cholesteryl-\omega-acryloyloxyalkanoates)$. The results indicate that the mode of chemical linkage of the side chain group with the main chain plays an important role in the formation, stabilization, and temperature dependence of $\lambda_m$ of the cholesteric mesophase.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 2009

The thermal and optical properties of poly {1-(cholesteryloxycarbonylalkanoyloxy) ethylene}s (PCALEn, n=2$\sim$8,10, the number of methylene units in the spacer) were investigated. All of the homologues formed monotropic cholesteric phases with left-handed helical structures. PCALEn with n=2 or 10, in constrast with PCALEn with $3{\leq}n{\leq}8$, did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helical twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length of the spacer connecting the cholesteryl group to the polyethylene chain. The glass transition temperatures decreased with increasing n. The isotropic-cholesteric phase transition temperatures decreased with increasing n up to 7 and showed an odd-even effect. However it became almost constant when n is more than 7. This behavior is rationalized in terms of the change in the average shape of the side chain on varing the parity of the spacer. This rationalization also accounts for the observed variation of the entropy gain for the clearing transition. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase and the temperature dependence of the optical pitch observed for PCALEn were significantly different from those reported for cellulose tri(cholesteryloxycarbonyl)alkanoates. The results were discussed in terms of the differences in the chemical structure and flexibility of main chain and the number of the mesogenic units per repeating unit.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.92-102
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• 2004

(6-Cholesteryloxycarbonylpentoxypropyl)celluloses (CHPCs) with degree of esterification (DE) ranging from 2.25 to 2.91 were synthesized by reacting hydroxypropyl cellulose with 6-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentanoyl chloride. The acrylic esters of CHPCs (CHPCEs) and their photocrosslinked films with liquidcrystalline order were also synthesized. The thermotropic properties of mesophase for both uncrosslinked and crosslinked samples and the swelling behavior of the crosslinked samples in acetone were investigated. The hydroxypropyl cellulose exhibited an enantiotropic cholesteric phas, while all the uncrosslinked cholesterylbearing samples exhibited a monotropic cholesteric phases; the 6-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentanoyl chloride also showed a monotropic smectic phase. The hydroxypropyl cellulose formed a right-handed helix whose optical pitch (λ$\sub$m/) increases with temperature, whereas all the uncrosslinked derivatives farmed left-handed helices whose λ$\sub$m/'s decreased with temperature. The thermal stability of the mesophase and the magnitude of λ$\sub$m/ at the same temperature for both CHPCs and CHPCEs decreased with increasing DE. All the crosslinked samples, in constrast with CHPCEs, did not display reflection colors but exhibited an anisotropic swelling characteristic of crosslinked gel retaining liquid-crystalline order.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.230-238
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• 2008

The thermal and optical properties of cellobiose octa(cholestryloxycarbonyl)alkanoates CCCBn, $n=2{\sim}8$,10, the number of methylene units in the spacer) were investigated. All the samples formed monotropic cholesteric phases with left-handed helical structures. CCBn with n=2 or 10, in contrast with CCBn with $3{\leq}n{\leq}8$, did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helical twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length of the spacer connecting the cholesteryl group to the cellobiose chain. The isotropic-cholestropic transition ($T_{ic}$) and glass transition temperatures decreased with increasing n and showed no odd-even effect. The transition entropy at $T_{ic}$ increased with increasing n from 2 up 6, but at n=7 it drops significantly and then increased again with increasing n from 8 to 10. The sharp change at n=7 may be attributed to a difference in arrangement of the side groups. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase and the temperature dependence of the optical pitch observed for CCBn were significantly different from those reported for the cellulose tri(cholesteryloxycarbonyl)alkanoates and glucose penta(cholesteryloxycarbonyl)alkanoates. The results were discussed in terms of the differences in the degree of polymerization, the number of the mesogenic units per mole-glucose unit, and the conformation of the molecules.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2004

A new hydroxypropyl chitosan capable of forming a thermotropic liquid crystalline phase and two kinds of derivatives based on the hydroxypropyl chitosan (6-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentoxypropyl) chitosans (CHPCTs) and acrylic acid esters of CHPCT (CHPCTEs) were synthesized. The crosslinked films with liquid crystalline order were also prepared by photocrosslinking CHPCTE in mesophase. The liquid crystalline properties for all the samples and the swelling behavior of the crosslinked samples in acetone were investigated. In contrast with the hydroxypropyl chitosan, all the uncrosslinked cholesteryl-bearing samples farmed monotropic cholesteric phases with left-handed helicoidal structures and exhibited reflection colors over the full cholesteric range. This is the first report of a thermotropic cholesteric liquid crystalline chitosan derivative with reflection bands in the visible region. Both the optical pitches (λ$\_$m/'S) of CHPCT and CHPCTE decrease with temperature or with cholesteryl content at a given temperature. However, the λ$\_$m/ of CHPCT was larger than that of CHPCTE at the same temperature and at the same cholesteryl content. All the crosslinked samples did not display reflection colors, indicating that the cholesteric structure of CHPCTE significantly changes upon crosslinking. The two-dimentional anisotropic swelling characteristic of liquid crystalline networks was observed for all the crosslinked samples.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 2007

Fully cholesteryloxycarbonated and (8-cholesteryloxycarbonyl) heptanoated disaccharide derivatives were synthesized by reacting cellobiose, maltose, and lactose with cholesteryl chloroformate or 8- cholesteryloxycarbonylheptanoyl chloride, and their thermotropic liquid crystalline properties were investigated. All the cholesteryloxycarbonated derivatives (CH1DSs) formed enantiotropic cholesteric phases, whereas all the (8-cholesteryloxycarbonyl) heptanoated derivatives (CH8DSs) exhibited monotropic cholesteric phases with left-handed helicoidal structures whose optical pitches (${\lambda}m's$) decrease with increasing temperature. All the CH1DSs, contrast with the CH8DSs, did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helicoidal twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length of the spacer joining the cholesteryl group to the disaccharide chain. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase and the temperature dependence of the ${\lambda}m$ observed for EH8DSs were entirely different from those reported for the cholesterol-bearing dimers and triplet and the (8-cholesteryloxycarbonyl) heptanoated polysaccharide derivatives. The results were discussed in terms of the difference in the number of the mesogenic units per mole of repeating unit and the flexibility of the main chain.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.356-367
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• 2007

Three kinds of amylose derivatives such as: cholesteryloxycarbonated amyloses(CAMs) with degree of esterification(DE) ranging from 1.8 to 3, (6-cholesteryloxycarbonyl)pentanoated amyloses(PAMs) with DE ranging from 0.3 to 3, and fully cholesteryloxycarbonated PAMs(CPAMs) were synthesized, and their thermotropic liquid crystalline properties were investigated. CAMs with $DE{\geq}2.6$, PAM with DE=1.6 and all the CPAMs formed enantiotropic cholesteric phases, whereas PAM with $DE{\geq}2.2$ exhibited monotropic cholesteric phases. PAM with $DE{\geq}2.2$ and CPAMs with (6-cholesteryloxycarbonyl)pentanoyl DE (DS) more than 1.0 formed cholesteric phases with left-handed helical structures whose optical pitches (${\lambda}_{m'}s$) decrease with increasing temperature. However, the ${\lambda}_{m'}s$ of these samples decreased with increasing DS at the same temperature. On the other hand, CAMs, PAM with DE=1.6, and CPAM with DS=0.3 did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helicoidal twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the length of the spacer joining the cholesteryl group to the main chain and DS. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase observed for the amylose derivatives highly depended on DE or DS. The results were discussed in terms of the difference ul the hydrogen bond, the internal plasticization, and the decoupling of the motion of side group with the main chain.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.380-392
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• 2012

Four kinds of N,O-hydroxypropyl chitosans (HPCTOs) with degree of substitution(DS) and molar substitution (MS) ranging from 2.47 to 2.52 and 4.9 to 7.8, respectively were synthesized, and their molecular chracteristics and thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline properties were investigated. MS was exceedingly larger than DS, showing that in the later stages of reaction, propylene oxide was preferentially added to the side chains rather than the main chain. All the derivatives formed thermotropic cholesteric phases. The glass and clearing temperatures were decreased with increasing MS. The optical pitches (${\lambda}_m$'s) of the thermotropic cholesteric phases increased with temperature. However, the ${\lambda}_m$'s of the derivatives at the same temperature increased with increasing MS. Solutions of HPCTOs in water, methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, and formic acid containing more than 30 wt% polymer also formed cholesteic phases whose ${\lambda}_m$'s decreased exponentially with increasing polymer concentration. The concentration dependence of ${\lambda}_m$ of HPCTO solutions, however, highly depended on the nature of the solvent and MS. The thermotropic and lyotropic mesophase properties of HPCTOs were significantly different from those reported for hydroxypropyl celluloses. The results indicate that the secondary amino group in the C-2 position plays an important role on the formation, stabilization, and temperature and concentration dependencies of ${\lambda}_m$ of the cholesteric mesophase.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.338-349
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• 2006

Fully or nearly fully(8-cholesteryloxycarbonyl)heptanoated polysaccharide derivatives were synthesized by reacting cellulose, amylose, chitosan, chitin, alginic acid, pullulan or amylopectin with (8-cholesteryloxycarbonyl)heptanoyl chloride (CH8C), and their thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviors were investigated. Like in the case of CH8C, all the polysaccharide derivatives formed monotropic cholesteric phases with left-handed helicoidal structures whose optical pitches $({\lambda_m}'s)$ decrease with increasing temperature. Amylopectin derivative also formed a monotropic cholesteric phase with lefthanded helicoidal structures but, in contrast with the other derivatives, did not display reflection colors over the full cholesteric range, suggesting that the helicoidal twisting power of the cholesteryl group highly depends on the branched structure in amylopectin. The thermal stability and degree of order in the mesophase, the magnitude of ${\lambda}_m$ at the same temperature, and the temperature dependence of the ${\lambda}_m$ observed for polysaccharide derivatives were entirely different from those reported for the polymers in which the cholesteryl groups are attached to flexible or semiflexible backbones through flexible spacers. The results were discussed in terms of the difference in the chemical structures of the main and side chains and flexibility of the main chain.