Mesogenic cyclic imino ether-containing compositions and polymerization products thereof

A cyclic imino ether containing one or more rodlike mesogenic moieties and one or two terminal groups of the formula:

• ##STR23## wherein R.sup.1 is independently hydrogen or hydrocarbyl group having 1 to about 3 carbon atoms and n has a value of 0 or 1;
• said cyclic imino ether not including the following:
• 2-(4-(4-methoxy-4'-biphenyloxy)butyl)-2-oxazoline, 2-(6-(4-methoxy-4'-methoxy-4'-biphenyloxy)butyl)-2-oxazoline, 2-(4-(4-phenylphenoxy)butyl)-2-oxazoline, 2,2'-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diylbis(4, 5-dihydro)oxazole or compounds represented by the following formula:
• ##STR24## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkoxy group having not more than 20 carbon atoms and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or said not included compounds which are substituted at one or more sites on their aromatic rings by hydrocarbyl of 1 to 10 carbons, hydrocarbyloxy of 1 to 10 carbons, a phenyl group, halogen, nitro, nitrile or --COR, where R is hydrogen or hydrocarbyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms.