Fast switching ferroelectric liquid-crystalline polymers

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Abstract
Ferroelectric liquid-crystalline side chain polymers containing polyacrylate or polysiloxane main chains, a mesogenic unit of three aromatic cores and chiral end groups were synthesized and characterized by D.S.C., optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Polyacrylates with a flexible spacer of eleven methylene groups exhibit fast bistable switching in oriented samples (2 to 4μm cells) with response times of some ms at low D.C. voltages, making these polymers interesting for the fabrication of electrooptical devices. Somewhat longer response times were found for the first switchable polysiloxanes. In this case some problems in obtaining well orientated samples have to be solved.