Novel liquid crystalline 2-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole based oligomers wi
th three and four rigid aromatic units linked by a flexible central un
it have been investigated by polarizing microscopy. The synthesis of t
hese compounds and the influence of structural variations on the mesom
orphic properties are described. The combination of suitable mesogenic
moieties with appropriate central units leads to oligomers which exhi
bit S-C phases.