Novel Asymmetric Polymerization Method Using an Asymmetric Liquid Crystal Reaction Field—

Synthesis of Chiral Polymers from Achiral Monomers in a Cholesteric Solvent

Abstract

Chiral polymerization of achiral monomers was performed using a cholesteric liquid crystal (LC) as an asymmetric reaction solvent. Successful polymerization was found to depend on careful consideration of monomer solubility and affinity to the cholesteric LC. Polymerization was carried out by Stille polycondensation reaction between the bromine atoms and trimethyltin groups using a Pd(0) catalyst to afford an aromatic conjugated system in the chiral nematic liquid crystal solvent. The polymers produced in this study showed circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence. The chirality of the polymers with no chiral substituents derived from the asymmetry produced by the chiral LC field during polymerization.