• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.92-102
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• 2004

(6-Cholesteryloxycarbonylpentoxypropyl)celluloses (CHPCs) with degree of esterification (DE) ranging from 2.25 to 2.91 were synthesized by reacting hydroxypropyl cellulose with 6-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentanoyl chloride. The acrylic esters of CHPCs (CHPCEs) and their photocrosslinked films with liquidcrystalline order were also synthesized. The thermotropic properties of mesophase for both uncrosslinked and crosslinked samples and the swelling behavior of the crosslinked samples in acetone were investigated. The hydroxypropyl cellulose exhibited an enantiotropic cholesteric phas, while all the uncrosslinked cholesterylbearing samples exhibited a monotropic cholesteric phases; the 6-cholesteryloxycarbonylpentanoyl chloride also showed a monotropic smectic phase. The hydroxypropyl cellulose formed a right-handed helix whose optical pitch (λ$\sub$m/) increases with temperature, whereas all the uncrosslinked derivatives farmed left-handed helices whose λ$\sub$m/'s decreased with temperature. The thermal stability of the mesophase and the magnitude of λ$\sub$m/ at the same temperature for both CHPCs and CHPCEs decreased with increasing DE. All the crosslinked samples, in constrast with CHPCEs, did not display reflection colors but exhibited an anisotropic swelling characteristic of crosslinked gel retaining liquid-crystalline order.