Optically active poly(m-phenylene)s substituted with chiral oxazoline derivatives have been synthesized by the nickel-catalyzed Yamamoto coupling reaction of optically active (S)-4-benzyl-2-(3,5-dihalidephenyl)oxazoline derivatives (X = Br or I). The structures and chiroptical properties of the polymers were characterized by spectroscopic methods and thermal gravimetric analyses. The polymers showed higher absolute optical specific rotation values than their corresponding monomer, and showed a Cotton effect at transition region of conjugated main chain. The optical activities of the polymers should be attributed to the higher order structure such as helical conformations. Moreover, the helical conformation could be induced by addition of metal salts into polymer solutions. The polymers showed good thermal stabilities, which was attributable to the oxazoline side chains. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013