Experimental Evidence of Chain Extension at the Transition Temperature of a Nematic Polymer

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Abstract
Studies by small-angle neutron scattering have been conducted on a main-chain thermotropic nematic polymer composed of alternating mesogens and flexible spacers. The anisotropy of chain conformation in the nematic phase was measured in the melt and in a dilute nematic solution. The variation as a function of degree of polymerization and spacer length is discussed. The results agree favorably with a mean-field theory of wormlike chains.