A multistep synthetic route for the preparation of a series of enylene
oxycarbonyl-1,4-phenyleneoxypolymethylene)s having a varying length of
the polymethylene spacer from the di- to the hexamethylene group is r
eported. The polymers prepared were characterized particularly for the
ir liquid crystalline properties by differential scanning calorimetry,
wide-angle X-ray diffractometry and observation of their textures on
a polarizing optical microscope. All the polymers, with the exception
of the trimethylene polymer, formed the nematic phase in melt. They ex
hibited the well known odd-even effect at melting temperature as well
as at isotropization temperature.