Well-defined and narrow molecular weight distribution macrocyclic poly(2-vinylnaphthalene) (P2VN) and poly(2-vinyl-9,9-dimethylfluorene) (PDMVF) containing a single 1,4-benzylidene or 9,10-anthracenylidene unit have been synthesized via the potassium naphthalide initiated polymerization of the monomers followed by the end-to-end coupling of the resulting P2VN dianions under high-dilution conditions with 1,4-bis(bromomethyl)benzene or 9,10-bis(chloromethyl)anthracene. Molecular characterization has been carried out by size exclusion chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The thermal properties show distinct differences between the cyclic and matching linear polymers, with the macrocycles showing much higher glass-transition and decomposition temperatures. The absorption bands are both hyperchromic and hypochromic with respect to the model aromatic compounds, and this is consistent with intensity borrowing. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.