Three new co-poly(arylene ether)s (PAE) containing cardo fluorene moiety in the main chain and pendent trifluoromethyl group have been synthesized by one pot high temperature polycondensation reaction using two kinds of bis-hydroxy compound, 9,9-bis(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (DMHF), bisphenol A (BPA) and three different bis-fluoro monomers. The structures of the resulting coPAEs were investigated by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. All the polymers showed good solubility in common organic solvents and high weight average molecular weight up to 443,000 g/mol. Flexible, transparent and mechanically strong films were obtained after solution casting from N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The polymers exhibited reasonably high thermal stability (Too, in the range of 459-485 degrees C) and high glass transition temperature (215-228 degrees C). The PAE membranes also revealed good optical transparency (lambda(cut-off) = 350-370 nm) along with very small water absorption (038 0.49%) after 72 h immersion in water. Furthermore, the PAE membranes showed low dielectric constants with the values in the range of 2.25-2.42 at room temperature and at 1 MHz frequency, measured from their capacitance. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.