A series of novel pi-conjugated polymers containing ruthenium bipyridine complexes was synthesized by a cross-coupling reaction and characterized. These polymers exhibit absorption maxima around 330-350 nm (pi-pi*) and 460-500 nm metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), respectively. They are soluble in common organic solvents, and all polymers can be converted into transparent films. We investigated the influence of different donating and acceptor diethynylarenes of the ultraviolet-visible spectra. The oxidation potential, which was measured by cyclic- and square-wave voltametry, showed a typical Ru2+/3+ exhibited at 1.25 V versus the saturated calomel electrode. The polymers were further characterized with photoluminescence measurements. When excited at 442 nm (11a), the polymer exhibited an emission peak at 690 nm. This peak was attributed to the MLCT states. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.