Materials of formula (I) are provided wherein E=0 indicates a non-cyclic system, E=1 indicates a cyclic system; when E=0 then G is R3SiR1R2(O)k; R1, R2, R3 are independently selected from C1-16 alkyl which may be partly or fully halogenated, H and formula (IA) wherein Y is a propyl group which may be partially halogenated with fluorine or chlorine and Y1 is independently selected from COO, OCO, O, S, CHOH, CHF, CO, CH2; Q and Q1 are independently selected from (CH2)n wherein one or more non-adjacent methylenes may be replaced by O and N=0-20; Z and Z1 are independently selected from O, S, single covalent bond, COO, OCO; when Y and/or Y1 is CH2 then n may also be 0; Figure (2) represents any mesogenic group; and MACROCYCLE represents any macrocycle; provided that at least one of R1, R2, R3 is selected from formula (IA); k=0 or 1; g=4 or 6 or 8 or 10 or 12; l=3 or 8 provided that: if k=l, l=3 and x is selected from 6, 8, 10, 12 then g=x; if k=0, l=8 and g=4 then x=1; and further provided that G may have up to g different structures for any single compound.