A complex of Eu3+, benzoate (BA), acrylate (AA), and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) was synthesized in this work. The structure of Eu(BAMAA)(Phen) was characterized with elemental analysis, FTIR, and UV spectroscopy. Copolymers containing rare earth complex were prepared via the copolymerization of Eu3+(BA)(2)(AA)(Phen) with styrene. Semitransparent, luminescent polymer materials with high fluorescent intensity were obtained. The as-synthesized materials were further characterized by means of IR and UV spectra, which indicated that they were copolymers instead of blends. The fluorescence spectra of the copolymers revealed the intense UV absorption characteristics of the rare earth complex present in the materials, as long as only a small portion of the complex was incorporated into the copolymers. Moreover, thermal analysis showed that the copolymer had excellent heat stability. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.