SELF-ASSEMBLY OF MAIN-CHAIN LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS VIA HETEROMERIC HYDROGEN-BONDING

Complexation between pyridines and carboxylic acids is driven by hydrogen bonding. This simple, single hydrogen bond is shown to be capable of serving concomitantly as both the agent of liquid crystallinity and as the coupling bond generating an extended linear chain structure. Three such complexes made from an aromatic diacid and three structurally different bis pyridyls were prepared. In each case the association complex self-assembles into an organized liquid crystalline phase. Discussion of this complexation as a step-growth polymerization process is presented along with an examination of the suitability of various methods for characterizing these materials.