Dipole moment and electric birefringence studies are reported for the series of molecules C 6H 5SM(CH 3) 3 in cyclohexane solution; M = C, Si, Ge or Sn. The experimental data are analysed to determine the preferred solution-state conformations. The dihedral angles between the C 6H 5 and C arSM planes are, in turn, 82 ± 11°, 80 ± 11°, 66 ± 12° and 46 ± 10°.