Chiral Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Recent Trends and Perspectives in Synthesis and Electrooptical Applications

Abstract

We briefly review several aspects of the syntheses and structures of chiral liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs), with emphasis on the established structure-property correlations. The current progress and future trends in their potential application in electrooptics are also outlined, with particular reference to the electrooptic effects in the smectic C* (ferroelectric) and smectic A* (electroclinic) phases of LCPs. We then present our most recent results in the synthesis and application of chiral LCPs, especially the linear electrooptic effects in chiral smectic A* and chiral nematic polymers.