Kinetically induced intermolecular association: unusual enthalpy changes in the nematic phase of a novel dimeric liquid-crystalline moleculeElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: photomicrographs of the nematic phase formed by BOPPHB on cooling, X-ray diffraction patterns and DSC thermograms. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b2/b204901p/

A novel dimeric liquid-crystalline molecule in which two mesogenic groups are connected via catechol was found to have smectic-like layer ordering in the nematic phase, and unusual enthalpy changes were observed in the nematic phase on heating from the monotropic smectic C phase.