Side‐chain functionalized liquid crystalline polymers and blends, 5. Order parameter for hydrogen‐bonded blends of the functionalized liquid crystalline polymer with a low molecular weight dopant

A hydrogen‐bonded blend based on comb‐shaped functionalized LC copolymers containing alkyloxy‐4‐hydroxybenzoic acid fragments (proton donor) and a low molecular weight dopant 4‐(4‐pyridyloyl)methoxybenzoate‐d₄ (proton acceptor) was obtained. The temperature dependence of the order parameter S, the birefringence Δn and the bend elastic constant K₃ of the LC copolymer and blend were studied by the ²H NMR spectroscopy and the Freedericksz method of threshold transitions in a magnetic field. The formation of the blend leads to a decrease of the order parameter S of the functionalized LC copolymer. The essential difference in the order parameter S of the mesogenic groups of the LC copolymers and the dopant molecules was established.