Cinnamate-containing dendrimers have been prepared by peripheral functionalization of the amine groups of a poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer with 4-methoxycinnamate- or 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)cinnamate-derived units and/or 4-cyanobiphenyl units in different proportions. The synthesis, full characterization in solution, thermal properties and optical properties of the novel monomers, homodendrimers and codendrimers are reported. The composition of the molecular structure of the codendrimers has been elucidated by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). These liquid crystalline dendrimers display lamellar SmA mesophases. The codendrimers have been tailored in such a way that the photoactive units and the liquid crystal units absorb in different regions in order to allow better control over the processes induced by light. Linearly polarized UV light irradiation studies performed on thin films of the cinnamate codendrimers show that they are photoresponsive. A photoinduced anisotropy is generated with increasing exposure time, but in-plane amplification of anisotropy by thermal annealing in the mesophase was not observed. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 49: 3499-3498, 2011