Liquid crystal gels cross-linked with 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzenes

A mixture of ω-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-yloxy)alkyl methacrylate and 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzene was heated to 200 °C at 5–10 °C/min. A large, broad exothermic transition peak was observed by differential scanning calorimetry during the first heating process. The transition indicated the formation of a networked polymer, which was then immersed for 24 h in various nematic liquid crystals, such as 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl, to give liquid crystal gels. The networked polymers and their corresponding liquid crystal gels exhibited different liquid crystal-isotropic transitions. The swelling behaviors of the liquid crystal gels were compared with those of gels cross-linked with 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, trimethylpropane trimethacrylate, and pentaerythritol tetraacetate. The characteristics of liquid crystal gels cross-linked with 1,3,5-tris-(ω-methacryloyloxyalkyloxy)benzenes were studied.