New high temperature polyaryleneetherketone triphenylphosphine oxides incorporating trans- 1,4-cyclohexane, 1,3-adamantane, and 4,9-diamantane structural units were synthesized by the base-promoted polymerization reaction between 4,4'-difluorotriphenylphosphine oxide and the novel dihydroxy monomers trans-1,4-bis(4-hydroxybenzoyl)cyclohexane, 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybenzoyl)adamantane, and 4,9-bis(4-hydroxybenzoyl)diamantane. The monomers were synthesized in a good yield by a two-step procedure involving the Friedel-Crafts acylation of anisole by the diacid chlorides trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarbonyl chloride, 1,3-adamantanedicarbonyl chloride, and 4,9-diamantanedicarbonyl chloride, followed by demethylation with pyridine hydrochloride. The polymers, which could be processed into tough, free standing films from organic solvents, exhibited high T-g's in the range of 192-239degrees as well as thermooxidative stabilities (5% weight loss in air) in the range of 445-490degrees. Preliminary results from a LTV-visible spectroscopic study of dilute solutions of the polymers in chloroform showed absorption maxima in the 263-274 nm region and transparency to spectral radiation in the 300-800 nm range, indicating that these triphenylphosphine oxide polymers could have potential applications for space thermal control coatings. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.