Macromolecules are both industrially important and of great theoretical interest.
They provide issues for chemical synthesis, and structural and behavioural examination. In each case the backbones as well as the units within the side chains are mesogenic. In the latter case photosensitive units such as dyes may be readily attached by reactions on the backbone, and a type of liquid crystal engineering has been described in which the properties are modified by reactions on the backbone. Other furan systems prepared anionically undergo novel crosslinking reactions. Currently we investigate the kinetics of chloroprene popcorn growth, and are exploring ways of preventing it happening.