A Dendronized Cellulose Derivative and its Thermotropic Liquid Crystal and Lyotropic Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Behaviors

A novel dendronized cellulose，ethyl cellulose grafted 3,4,5-tris[4-(dodecyloxy) benzyloxy] benzoate (EC-g-DOBOB), which is comprised of ethyl cellulose (EC) backbone with mesogenic moiety DOBOB (3,4,5-tris(4-(dodecyloxy)benzyloxy)benzoic acid) dendron grafted, was designed and synthesized. The structure of EC-g-DOBOB was investigated by means of FTIR, Both thermotropic liquid crystal and lyotropic liquid crystal behaviors of EC-g-DOBOB were studied by combination of DSC, POM and XRD. At room temperature EC-g-DOBOB demonstrated hexagonal columnar mesophase (Φh), with the column diameter 5.8 nm, besides it formed lyotropic cholesteric liquid crystal in concentrated chloroform solution with a planar texture.