Liquid crystalline dimeric compounds with an alkylene spacer

Two series of compounds with dimeric molecules have been synthesized and ch aracterized. These molecules consist of two non-mesogenic units linked by a n alkylene spacer through an eater linkage. The effects of varying the term inal as well as the spacer chain length on the mesomorphic properties have been studied. For compounds with an even number of carbon atoms in the spac er chains, the observed textures in the mesophases are reminiscent of those seen for the smectic phases of banana-shaped molecules.