O-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) cellulose (DHPC) films crosslinked with glyoxal retaining liquid-crystalline order (DHPC-GN) were prepared by casting the liquid-crystalline solution in water, and their thermotropic properties were compared with those of uncro...
O-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) cellulose (DHPC) films crosslinked with glyoxal retaining liquid-crystalline order (DHPC-GN) were prepared by casting the liquid-crystalline solution in water, and their thermotropic properties were compared with those of uncrosslinked DHPC films cast from the same solution. The swelling behaviors for DHPC-GN in water and in methanol were also investigated. Both DHPC-GN and the uncrosslinked DHPC films did not show an isotropic phase and the briefringent textures of a mosaiclike texture were maintained up to about 250℃ corresponding to the degradation temperature, showing that the mesophases of both kinds of films are very stable to heat. The weight and volume swelling ratios for DHPC-GN in both solvents decreased with increasing concentration of the crosslinker. However, the swelling ratios in water were greater than those in methanol. DHPC-GN exhibited an anisotropic swelling in both solvents. The degree of anisotropy hardly depended on the solvent and the crosslinker concentration.