Conformations of the aromatic ether bonds located on the tetra-substituted benzene ring in 4-[3’,4’,5’,-Tri(p-n-dodecyloxybenzoyloxy) benzoyloxy]4"-p-n-dodecyloxybenzoyloxy-biphenyl were measured throughout the temperature ranges of the nematic and smectic C mesophases using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. An abrupt decrease in the angle between the bonds occurred at the transition from the nematic to the smectic C mesophase. The molecule adopted a more compact conformation to pack into the more highly ordered smectic C mesophase.