Dynamic mechanical and thermal behavior of novel liquid-crystalline polybutadiene-diols with azobenzene groups in side chains

Liquid-crystalline (LC) polymers containing methoxy-or butoxy-substituted azobenzene in side chains have been prepared via radical addition of the in advance synthesized nematic thiols onto double bonds of poly(butadiene) diol [Polakova et al., Pol. Bull. 54, 315-326 (2010)]. In the present work, thermal behavior of these comblike polymers has been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. LC transitions have been also determined by rheological measurement. Time-temperature superposition of mechanical functions has been successfully applied to samples undergoing direct nematic/glassy state transition. (C) 2013 The Society of Rheology.