Polymer Networks with Lamellar Structure

The lamellar liquid crystalline phase of a pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5)/decane/water system is used as a matrix to create amphiphilic polymer network structures from α,ω-hydrophobically modified poly(oxyethylenes) bearing polymerizable end groups and hydrophobic comonomers. The polymer networks preserve the characteristic layer structure and the orientation of the liquid crystalline phase even after extraction of the templating matrix. This allows the preparation of highly anisotropic polymer gels from magnetic field aligned liquid crystalline phases. The changes of the macroscopic dimensions and the layer spacings of the polymer network structure upon swelling these systems in a selective solvent, like water, are strongly correlated. The influence of the molecular weight of the bridging poly(oxyethylene) chains on the equilibrium swelling of the samples is investigated.