Abstract
Previous structural investigations of mesogenic organosilicon compounds (1, 3-dihydroxytetraalkyldisiloxanes, [R2(OH)Si]2O, R = C n H2n+1) which form thermotropic phases are outlined. The crystal and molecular structure determination of a non-mesogenic member of this series [Me2(OH)Si]2O is described. It is inferred that the mesophases formed by this family of compounds belong to a new structural type with columnar stacks of the molecules laced together with hydrogen bonds.