ABSTRACT
Four new laterally substituted liquid crystalline compounds of the type 2-methyl-4′—substituted -4 (-4″- methoxycinnamyloxy) azobenzenes (IIIa-IIId) have been synthesized. All these are nematic liquid crystals with enantiotropic characteristics. The compound IIIa has high potential for the separation of positional and geometric isomers of various arometic compounds when used as stationary phase in gas chromatography.