Unusual odd-even effects in vinyl ether and acrylated direactive liquid crystals

Four series of direactive liquid crystals are presented and their physical properties characterised. The core groups are based on either a lateral chl oro or methyl terphenyl and the reactive groups are either acrylates or vin yl ethers. It is shown that reactive liquid crystals with vinyl ether react ive groups have higher transition temperatures, birefringence, and order pa rameter than the corresponding acrylates. Both the vinyl ether and acrylate series show an odd-even effect in transit ion temperatures, birefringence and order parameters. The odd-even effect i n the vinyl ether series is particularly marked.