Polymers of carbonic acid. XXIV. Photoreactive, nematic or cholesteric polycarbonates derived from hydroquinone‐4‐hydroxybenzoate 4,4′‐dihydroxychalcone and isosorbide

Numerous polycarbonates were prepared by means of “diphosgene” in pyridine using hydroquinone 4-hydroxybenzoate (HQHB) as mesogenic diphenol. In addition to the homopolycarbonate, binary copolycarbonates of HQHB and 4,4′-dihydroxychalcone (DHC) with varying molar composition were prepared. A series of ternary copolycarbonates were obtained by incorporation of isosorbide. Furthermore, an alternating copolycarbonate of HQHB and isosorbide was synthesized. All polycarbonates were characterized by inherent viscosities, elemental analyses, IR-, 1H-NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy, by WAXS powder patterns DSC measurements, and optical microscopy with crossed polarizers. The homopolycarbonate of HQHB and most binary copolycarbonates were semicrystalline materials forming an enantiotropic nematic melt. Particularly noteworthy is the finding that the alternating copolycarbonate of HQHB and isosorbide forms a broad cholesteric phase despite the unfavorable stereochemistry of isosorbide. The ternary copolycarbonates containing isosorbide formed a cholesteric melt and a Grandjean texture upon shearing. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1611–1619, 1997