NOVEL MESOGEN-SILICON COMPOUND (CO)POLYMER AND THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER

摘要

Provided is a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a mesogen-silicon compound (co)polymer which is represented by formula (1) below and has a number average molecular weight of 1,000-500,000. The thermoplastic elastomer has transparency and rubber properties (rubber elasticity) and can be (repeatedly) molded thermally and reversibly, and thus can be suitably used in potting materials or various sealing materials. In formula (1), Ar represents a mesogenic group selected from among structures represented by formula (2) below, a represents an integer of 0.5-1, b represents a number of 0-0.5 (a and b respectively represent the ratio of the number of respective repeating units to the sum of all the repeating units in the molecule, and a+b=1), R¹ is a monovalent hydrocarbon group that does not contain a C1-8 aliphatic unsaturated bond, and R² is a hydrogen atom, —Si(CH₃)₃, —Si(CH₃)₂(OH), —Si(CH₃)₂(CH═CH₂) or —Si(CH₃)₂(CH₂—CH═CH₂).;