Liquid-Crystalline Polymers: Molecular Engineering, Hierarchical Structures, and Applications

Liquid-crystalline polymers (LCPs) are a unique class of soft materials that combine liquid crystal and polymer characteristics. This perspective highlights recent advances of LCPs on the aspects of molecular engineering, hierarchical structures, and emerging applications. The strategy of sequence control in polymer synthesis has been introduced to tailor the primary structures of LCPs as well as their phases and orders. By incorporating mesogenic motifs rich in shape, order, and interaction into LCPs, novel bulk and interfacial structures on hierarchical scales are anticipated. The intrinsic features and fascinating properties of LCPs enable them to find potential applications in emerging areas including integrated circuits, lasing, environment, and energy, implying compelling opportunities for LCPs in fundamental science and transformative technologies.