New melogenic homologous series of cinnamates with substituted ethyl tail: Propoxyethyl[4(4-n-alkoxycinnamoyloxy) benzoates] has been synthesized by condensing an appropriate 4-n-alkoxycinnamoylchloride with propoxyethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate. The synthesized compounds were characterized by combination of elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic methods. In the present series all the compounds synthesized exhibit mesomorphism. Methoxy to n-propyloxy derivatives exhibit monotropic nematic mesophase. n-butyloxy to n-pentyloxy derivatives exhibit both enantiotropic smectic A as well as nematic mesophases. n-hexyloxy to n-hexadecyloxy derivatives exhibit only enantiotropic smectic A mesophase. The mesomorphic properties of the present series were compared with structurally related mesogenic homologous series to evaluate the effect of propoxyethyl tail and cinnamoyloxy central linkage on phase transition.