polymers Review Polysiloxane-Based Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymers: From Synthesis to Structure–Phase Transition Behavior Relationships Lanying Zhang 1,2 ID , Wenhuan Yao 3, Yanzi Gao 1, Cuihong Zhang 1 and Huai Yang 1,2,* 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
[email protected] (L.Z.);
[email protected] (Y.G.);
[email protected] (C.Z.) 2 Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China 3 College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +86-10-6276-6919 Received: 11 June 2018; Accepted: 11 July 2018; Published: 19 July 2018 Abstract: Organosilicon polymer materials play an important role in certain applications due to characteristics of much lower glass transition temperatures (Tg), viscosities, surface energy, as well as good mechanical, thermal stabilities, and insulation performance stemming from the higher bond energy and the larger bond angles of the adjacent silicon-oxygen bond. This critical review highlights developments in the synthesis, structure, and phase transition behaviors of polysiloxane-based side chain liquid crystal polymers (PSCLCPs) of linear and cyclic polysiloxanes containing homopolymers and copolymers. Detailed synthetic strategies are elaborated, and the relationship between molecular structures and liquid crystalline phase transition behaviors