Controlling Chain Conformation in Amorphous Polymers through Liquid Crystal Confinement*

This presentation introduces a novel approach to control the conformations of polymer chains in intrinsically amorphous materials using non-reactive liquid crystals (LCs). The focus is on achieving alignment in polymers like PMMA and polystyrene, known for their rapid, irreversible transition into random coil conformations upon heating. The solution lies in low-temperature polymerization within LC solvents, which preserves the nematic phase, providing effective nanoconfinement for highly aligned conformations. By utilizing specific LC removal solvents, these aligned chains can be kinetically trapped, enabling remarkable shape memory behaviors. The implications extend beyond polymers into liquid crystal elastomers, shape memory materials, and other fields.