A homolog of new liquid crystals with the structure of MeO₂CC₆H₄CH₂OC₆H₄CH＝NC₆H₄Y, Y＝OC_nH_2n＋1 (n＝1～12, 14, 16 ), Me, Cl, Br, NO₂ and H were synthesized and their mesomorphic properties were studied through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The result shows that molecules with non-alkyloxy substituent are nematogenic and short alkyloxy chains (n＝1～3 ) in the homologue lead to nematic phase with odd-even effect, the molecules with longer alkyloxy chains (n＝4～16) present smectic A and B phases, while the entropy changes of S_A to isotropic liquid have opposite "odd-even effect" to those of the nematic to isotropic transition.

Key words: liquid crystal, calamitic molecule, nematic, smectic B, smectic A, odd-even effect