Series of rod-like phenylimidazol benzoates containing terminal alkoxy chains were synthesized via copper(I) catalyzed Ullmann coupling reaction as key step. Their mesogenic behaviors were investigated by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray scattering. The initial relationship between the molecular structures and their mesophorbic characters is studied by changing the length and the number of the terminal alkoxy chains. For the single chain imidazole derivatives nematic phases (N) and smectic phases (SmA₂) were found, but upon increasing the number of alkoxy chains the LC phases were lost. By analyzing the results of the X-ray measurements on the single crystal structures and mesophase structures, the smectic phases formed by these molecules are considered as bilayer structures with complete intercalation of the alkyl chains (SmA₂).

Key words: imidazol, synthesis, molecular selforganization, liquid crystal