A series of new liquid crystalline homopolymers, copolymers, and block copolymers were polymerized from styrene-macroinitiator (SMi) and methacrylates with pendent 4,4'-bis(biphenyl)fluorene (M1) and biphenyl-4-ylfluorene (M2) groups through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The number-average molecular weights (Mn) of polymers P1-P4 were 10,007, 14,852, 6,275, and 10,463 g mol-1 with polydispersity indices values of 1.21, 1.15, 1.31, and 1.22, respectively. All polymers exhibit the nematic phase. The thermal, mesogenic, and photoluminescent properties of all polymers were investigated. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.