Synthesis of hydrophilic cholesteric liquid crystal and its gel behavior

Abstract

Recently hydrogels have become important materials in soft matter research field. In this work, we synthesized a novel monomer with enhanced hydrophilicity. The mesomorphic properties were evaluated after mixing with a thermotropic reactive mesogen that had a nematic phase. Our work aims to make a cholesteric structure that can swell in water, which is a non-toxic and abundantly available solvent.