A new diphenylbutadiene-containing bisphenol was successfully synthesized from benzylideneaniline and 4-propenylanisole via an anil synthetic method. A series of copoly(arylene ether)s consisting of an alternate isolated blue chromophore (diphenylbutadiene) and an electron-transporting moiety (1,3,4-oxadiazole) was synthesized and characterized. High molecular weight copoly(arylene ether)s with an inherent viscosity of >0.5 dL/g were prepared by the nucleophilic displacement reaction of oxadiazole-activated bis-fluorocompounds with bisphenols. Introduction of ether linkages into the copolymers led to an enhanced solubility in organic solvents such as N,N-di-methylacetamide (DMAc) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The resulting copolymers can be cast into tough and transparent films. The copolymers were amorphous in structure with high glass transition temperatures ranging from 182.29 to 194.50degreesC. They also exhibited good thermal stability with the maximum decomposition temperatures higher than 500degreesC in nitrogen. The absorption peaks of these copolymers in thin films varied from 375 to 391 nm, while the photoluminescent peaks varied from 410 to 433 mn. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.