A new triphenylamine-based aromatic dicarboxylic acid monomer, 4-tert-butyl-4',4 ''-dicarboxytriphenylamine (2), was synthesized from the cesium fluoride mediated N,N-diarylation reaction of 4-tert-butylaniline with 4-fluorobenzonitrile and subsequent alkaline hydrolysis of the dinitrile intermediate. A series of six aromatic polyamides 4a-4f with tert-butyltriphenylamine groups was prepared from the newly synthesized dicarboxylic acid and various aromatic diamines. These polyamides were readily soluble in many organic solvents and could be solution-cast into flexible and strong films. The glass-transition temperatures of these polymers were in the range of 274-311 degrees C. These polymers exhibited strong UV-vis absorption bands at 356-366 nm in NMP solution. Their photoluminescence spectra showed maximum bands around 433-466 nm in the blue region. Cyclic voltammograms of all the polyamides exhibited reversible oxidation redox couples in acetonitrile. The polyamide 4f, with tert-butyltriphenylamine segment in both diacid and diamine residues, exhibited stable electrochromic characteristics with a color change from a colorless neutral form, through a green semioxidized form, to a deep purple fully oxidized form. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2798-2809,2010