A series of electrochromic and photoluminescenceactive polyamides 4a-4e were prepared from a novel dicarboxylic acid, N,N-di(4-carboxyphenyl)-2-amino-9,9-dimethylfluorene, and five diamines via a condensation polymerization. These polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in many solvents. The glass transition temperatures were in the range of 281-339 degrees C and the 10% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen were in excess of 490 degrees C. The polyamides exhibited strong fluorescence in either solution or solid states. The polyamides 4a-4d showed reversible electrochemical redox with color changing from colorless to grey-green. Specially, the polyamide 4e with 2-diphenylamino-(9,9-dimethylamine) group in both diamine and dicarboxylic acid residues exhibited multicolored electrochromic behaviors. Furthermore, the fluorescence of these polyamides could be reversibly electroswitched with a high contrast up to 221.4, enabling their potential applications in dual-switching electrochromic/electrofluorescent materials. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.