In this paper we propose to estimate the role of chain conformations in bringing about reentrant polymorphism in a nonpolar sample of mesogens. To this end we also show that the reentrant phenomenon is built in the McMillan model, if one explicitly incorporates the e8'ect of tail-chain conformations in the molecular potential instead of treating the chains as an extension of the rigid part. The model is next utilized to predict the single reentrance I-N-Sm-N„with lowering of ternperature in a nonpolar system. I. INTRQDUCTIOlV Since the discovery of reentrant polymorphism in a binary mixture of two polar compounds, a large number of investigations have been carried out in this field. Liquid-crystalline systems exhibiting such reentrant polymorphism I X Sm X„-, a-nd -the double (or triple) reentrant phase sequence consist of organic molecules usually with three or four aromatic rings with ester linkages and having polar cyano or nitro-end groups. Apart from pure compounds, such reentrant polymorphism with a lowering of temperature is also exhibited by binary mixtures of polar-polar, polar-nonpolar, or even by nonpolar-nonpolar compounds. ' The last one however only shows the single reentrant phase sequence. Further, as a given homologous series is ascended the reentrant phase sequence is shown by the higher homologs (e.g. , usually by the octyloxy, nonyloxy, etc. members) which are neither very short nor very long. These findings indicate that the dipolar force plays a crucial role in the reentrant polymorphism. There are theoretical models' that emphasize this role of dipolar force to bring about the phase sequence. A number of theories assume some sort of bimolecular organization (dimers)' or even trimers or n-mers with antiparallel association that compensates (not always fully) the dipole moments. This system of dimers or n-mers together with existing monomers can bring about the desired phase sequence. Such theories can also explain the variation of layer thickness' as an interdigitation or reorientation' (in the case of constant layer thickness) of the component systems in a mean-field approach. These theories essentially show that the high-temperature smectic phase is an induced phase and the reentrant nematic phase is brought about by a competition between two incommensurate lengths. This two-length theory is also one of the main ingredients of the Landau theory of the phase transition developed by Prost and Barois. A further review of theories and experiments for reentrant nematic phases can be found in Refs. 24 and 25. However, the occurrence of single reentrance I-X-SmX„(Refs. 11 and 12) in a binary mixture of nonpolar compounds cannot possibly be due to such dipolar forces. In fact, for such systems, observation' on layering thickness shows no hint for the kind of dimerization as is found in reentrant systems with polar compounds. The above result, together with the observation that in all the systems discussed the reentrant phase usually occurs for certain members (usually eighth or ninth) of the homologous series, indicate that the tail chains should have some active role in bringing about the reentrance. Dowell proposed a lattice model for condensed phases that predicted reentrance in a single-component nonpolar system. In that model, it is seen that a segregated packing of cores beside cores and chains beside chains occurs with a lowering of temperature leading to a usual smectic phase. With further lowering of temperature, the chains become less flexible, and packing differences between the rigid cores and tail chains decrease. Thus, the need for segregated packing of rigid cores with cores (and tail chains with tail chains) is overcome by entropy of unsegregated packing, leading to the disappearance of the smectic-A phase and the appearance of the reentrant nematic phase. In other words, the Dowell model holds the change in chain configuration responsible for reentrance. We present in this section some results we have obtained on the role of chains in bringing about reentrance in a single-component nonpolar sample. As in the case of polar systems, our present study is also based on a molecular mean-field approach and the starting point, so to say, is again the McMillan model. Here, however, we show that the reentrant phenomenon is built in the McMillan model, if one explicitly incorporates the efFeet of tail-chain conformations in the molecular potential instead of treating the chains as an extension of the rigid part. The model is used next to predict the single reentrant phase sequence I-iV-Sm-X„with lowering of temperature in an idealized nonpolar system. Our results also indicate that chain conformations alone can give rise to reentrance for certain intermediate members of a homologous series only under some very restrictive conditions.