The series of liquid crystalline -cum-photocrssslinkable polymers were synthesized by the pendant chalcone moiety.

All the polymers namely, poly 4[4{1-Biphenyl Oxy Carbonyl} Cinnamoyl Phenyl Oxy alkyl] Methacrylates (Ia-Ib), poly 4- phenyl styryl carbonyl (phenyl -4oxy -m-alkyl) methacrylate (IIa-IIb), poly 4- phenyl styryl carbonyl (phenyl-4-oxy-m-alkyl) acrylate (IIIa-IIIc), poly 4[4{1- methyl carbonyl phenyl carbonyl oxy} 4 phenyl oxy carbonyl] phenyl carbonyl ethylene phenyl oxy ethyl meth acrylate (IV), 4[4{1-Methoxy phenyl oxy carbonyl }-4-cinnamoyl phenyl oxy ]-2-ethyl methscrylate (V) and 4 [4{1-biphenylcarbonyloxy}
phenyloxycarbonyl phenylcarbonylethylene phenyl] oxy butyloxy methacrylate (IV) were

synthesized by a free radical polymerization from corresponding monomers using BPO as an initiator in EMK at 70OC.The structures of the thermotropic novel liquid crystalline photosensitive monomers and polymers were confirmed by IR, 1H and
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C- NMR and UV

visible spectroscopic techniques. The molecular weights of the polymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography. The thermal stability of the polymers was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The phase behavior and mesomorphism of the polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and hot stage hot stage optical polarized microscope (HOPM). The photo-crosslinking properties of these polymers were studied by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The crosslinking proceeds via 2+2 cycloaddition reaction of the chalcone moiety. The rate of crosslinking increased with increase in methylene chain length of the polymer.

All the polymers are freely solubilized in ethyl acetate, acetone, THF, DMF, Chloroform and dichloromethane and insoluble in methanol, ethanol, hexane, benzene and toluene. The GPC data indicates that all the polymers possess has good molecular weight. The FT-IR spectra of the polymers showed a characteristic band at 3036 and 3056 cm-1 is due to olefinic -CH- stretching vibrations. The COO- appears at 1748 and C=O appears at 1698 cm-1. The 1627 and 1630 cm-1 is occurs at C=C stretching virations.The CH2 symmetric and asymmetric stretching vibratins are at 850 and 292l cm-1. The aromatic ring breathing vibrations occurs at 603, 1449 and 1514cm-1. The 1H-NMR spectra of the polymers gave their characteristic at 7.75 and 6.95 ppm is

due to multiplets aromatic protons. The olefinic protons of the pendant chalcone moiety gave their characteristic signal at 6.4 ppm. The backbone methylene (-CH 2) groups showed their peak at 2.3 ppm. The resonance signals at 3.4 ppm was due to alkoxy methylene protons and the peak at 1.7 ppm was due to the methyl protons.
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C-NMR chemical shift assignment was made from the off resonance decoupled spectra

of the polymer. The resonance signals appear at 179 & 177 ppm, which corresponds to esteric carbonyl carbon. The ketone carbon signal is observed at 192 &191 ppm. The signals at 105 ppm are due to >CH=CH< (olefinic) carbon connected to the benzene ring The aromatic carbon gave signals at 120-140 ppm and the aliphatic carbon gave signals at 14, 15, 16,18,23,25, ppm.The signal observed at 40-50 ppm is assignable to the backbone carbon (-C-) of the Polymer unit. The thermal stability of all polymers was investigated at various temperatures and the weight loss (%) was observed. The thermal stability was evaluated for 5 to 80% weight loss at the minimum temperature. TGA revealed that the synthesised polymers were stable up to 2102950C and stated degrading thereafter in nitrogen. Thermal stability of the polymer usually decreases with increase in methylene spacer in pendent chain. The thermal stability increased with
decreasing spacer length,

DSC analysis investigated the mesogenic transition of all the polymers. The DSC thermograms of the polymers were measured at a heating rate of 10c/min. The differential scanning calorimetry studies indicated the glass transition (Tg) of the polymers lie between 4579oC, melting transition temperatures (Tm) were in the range of 83-120oC of the polymer and the isotropic transition temperatures were in the range of 130-175oC.The polymers shows higher transistion temperature which is due to the effect of substituent of biphenyl ring and shorter methylene chain of the polymer backbone. The liquid crystalline properties of the polymers were examined by hot stage optical polarizing microscopy. All the polymers exhibited liquid crystalline behavior. As the increase in methylene chain in the pendant the LC texture of the polymers were more pronounced. The rates of photo crosslinking behavior and photo conversion of the polymers have been studied by UV visible spectroscopy. The UV study reveals that the polymer follows (2-2) cyclo addition of the chalcone moiety.

The rate of crosslinking increased with increase in methylene chain length of the polymer. The polymers containing decamethylene spacer showed faster crosslinking than octamethylene, hexamethylene and tetramethylene Finally, it may be concluded the these dual functional polymers such as liquid crystalline-cum-photocrosslinkale polymers (LC-PCPs) can be suitably exploited for various applications, such as photoresists, opto-electronic devices , non-linear optics and liquid crystalline display applications, where thermal stability, liquid crystallinity, low Tg, Tm and photocrosslinkability are collectively required.