Eleven members of a novel homologous series of α-3-[-4′-n-alkoxy cinnamoyloxy] phenyl β- 4′′-methoxy benzoyl ethylenes were synthesized. The methyloxy, ethyloxy, butyloxy, and hexadecyloxy homologues are nonmesomorphic, while all the other homologues are mesomorphic. The mesomorphic homologues are enantiotropically smectogenic in combination with nematogenic character, except for the propyloxy homologue, which ...
