Polymerizable Ionic Liquid Crystals

Polymerizable vinylimidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) that contain mesogenic coumarin and biphenyl units, respectively, have been synthesized. The N-alkylation of N-vinylimidazole with bromoalkylated mesogenic units 7-(6-bromohexyloxy)coumarin (1) and 4,4′-bis(6-bromohexyloxy)biphenyl (2) was then carried out. The thermal behavior of the obtained ILs 3 and 4 was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. These measurements showed that the attached mesogenic units induce the self-assembly of ILs and, therefore, the occurrence of liquid crystalline phases. Subsequently, the ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) 3 and 4 were polymerized by a free-radical mechanism.