A series of electroluminescent pi -conjugated polymers containing an oxadiazole group in the backbone was prepared through Heck's coupling or Wittig's condensation reaction, poly[(2,5-bis(5-hexyloxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole)-2,2-diylvimylene-alt-1,4-phenyleneviny-lene] (POOXPV), poly[(2,5-bis(2-hexyloxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole)-5,5-divylvinylene-alt-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (PMOXPV) and poly[(2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole)-2,4-diylvinylene-alt-1,4-(2,5-dihexyloxy)-phenylenevinylene] (PPOXPV). The three polymers were soluble in common organic solvents and showed good thermal stability. The maximum photoluminescence (PL) wavelengths of POOXPV, PMOXPV and PPOXPV appeared at 495, 470, and 510 nm, respectively. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra of POOXPV and PPOXPV showed maximum peaks at 500 and 510 nm, respectively, corresponding to greenish-blue light, with the single-layer light-emitting diodes of Al/polymer/ITO glass fabricated. In blending synthesized polymers with 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-[p-(dimethylamino)stryl]-4H-pyran (DCM), polymers are also believed to serve as an excellent polymer electron-transporting materials in our devices. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.