Higher-order-structure Formation in Liquid Crystal Epoxy Thermosets Investigated by Synchrotron Radiation–Wide-angle X-ray Diffraction

We report the investigation of the mesophase transformations of a liquid crystalline molecule with terminal epoxy groups from the initial stages of curing with a diamine compound. The ordered arrangement of molecules within the smectic layers in the thermoset formed at the end of the curing process was characterized by synchrotron radiation–wide-angle X-ray diffraction (SR-WAXD). Data from this experiment helps us understand the phase transitions from the nematic to smectic phases of curing liquid crystalline epoxies.