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Main-chain smectic liquid-crystalline polymers as randomly disordered systems.

A S Muresan·B I Ostrovskii·A Sánchez-Ferrer·H Finkelmann·W H de Jeu
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Abstract

We report a high-resolution X-ray lineshape study of main-chain smectic polymers. The results indicate that the layer ordering differs fundamentally from the algebraic decay typical for other smectic liquid-crystalline systems. The lineshapes are best described by broad squared Lorentzians indicating some form of short-range correlations. However, several higher harmonics are observed, which excludes simple liquid-like short-range order. This behaviour is tentatively attributed to a random field of defects associated with entangled hairpins in the main-chain polymer structure.

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Complex MixturesComputer SimulationLiquid CrystalsModels, ChemicalModels, MolecularModels, StatisticalMolecular ConformationPhase TransitionSolutionsJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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A S Muresan, B I Ostrovskii, A Sánchez-Ferrer, H Finkelmann, W H de Jeu. 2006-04-03. Main-chain smectic liquid-crystalline polymers as randomly disordered systems.. https://doi.org/10.1140/epje%2Fi2005-10077-7

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