This book originated in the Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Polymeric Liquid Crystals held by the Division of Polymer Chemistry in the framework of the 1983 Fall Meeting of the American Chemical Society. At the First Symposium in 1977, the literature in this field could be encompassed in a single volume. To day, that is no longer possible. The field of Polymeric Liquid Crystals grew, and continues to grow, at a very rapid pace. At present, we know of every major mesophase in its polymeric form and of polymeric glasses, elastomers and fluids in their liquid crystalline form. Every year, new polymeric mesophases are being discovered. The aim of this book is to go beyond a compilation of papers presented at the 1983 ACS Fall Meeting. It is conceived as a learning tool for the benefit of the sci entist interested in Polymeric Liquid Crystals. The book is divided into three sections. The first section contains articles discussing synthetic, physico chemical, structural and rheological aspects of Polymeric Liquid Crystals in their generality. A chapter on methods currently used in this field is also included. There are also chapters on theoretical and classification aspects of PLCs. These self-contained tutorial chapters provide an introduction to this field as well as to the specific papers given in the book. They provide an exhaustive cover age of literature on the subject from its inception to the present.

Inhalt
General Developments in the Field of Polymeric Liquid Crystals.- Liquid Crystalline Polymers: Phenomenological and Synthetic Aspects.- Identification of Mesophases Exhibited by Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymers.- Some Physico-Chemical Aspects of Polymeric Liquid Crystals.- Conformational Properties of Macromolecules of Mesogenic Polymers in Solutions.- Molecular Theory of Mesomorphic Polymers.- Concepts in Rheological Studies of Polymeric Liquid Crystals.- Do Condis Crystals Exist?.- THERMOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Rigid and Semi-Rigid Main Chain Polyesters.- X-ray Studies of the Structure of HBA/HNA Copolyesters.- X-ray Studies of Thermotropic Aromatic Copolyesters.- Transient Shear Flow Behavior of Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyesters.- Preliminary Thermal and Structural Studies of Blends Based on a Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyester and Poly(ethylene) Terephthalate.- Structure and Properties of Rigid and Semirigid Liquid Crystalline Polyesters.- THERMOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Flexible Main Chain Polyesters.- Structure-Property Relations in Flexible Thermotropic Mesophase Polymers: I. Phase Transitions in Polyesters Based on the Azoxybenzene Mesogen.- Liquid Crystal Polymers: 16 Polar Substituent Effects on Thermotropic Properties on Aromatic Polyesters.- Preparation and Properties of Thermotropic Polyamidoesters.- THERMOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Polymeric Liquid Crystals with Mesogenic Moieties in the Side Group.- Photoelastic Behavior of Liquid Crystalline Polymer Networks.- Structure of Nematic Side Chain Polymers.- Cholesteric Polymers with Mesogenic Side Groups.- Properties of Some Liquid Crystalline Side Chain Polymers in the Electric Field.- Some Electro-Optical Phenomena in Comb-Like Liquid Crystalline Polymeric Azomethines.- Thermo-Recording on the Liquid Crystalline Polymers.- Electro-Optic Effects in Liquid Crystal Side Chain Polymers.- LYOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Derivatives of Cellulose.- Phase Separation of Polymeric Liquid Crystals Based on Cellulose.- Liquid Crystalline Polymer Solutions and Mixtures.- Thermal Behavior of Mesomorphic Cellulose Derivatives.- LYOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Polypeptides.- Rheo-Optical Studies on the Structural Re-Formation of Nematic Liquid Crystals of Rod-Like Polymers After Cessation of Steady Flow.- The Determination of Elastic Constants in Weakly Birefringent Liquid Crystals.- LYOTROPIC SYSTEMS: Biomesogens.- Mesogenic Order-Disorder Distributions.