Perylene dianhydride (PDA)-incorporated polyimides were prepared. The perylene unit in the polyimide was thermally converted to the corresponding N-heterocyclic polyarene unit through a Diels-Alder reaction. The monomer, 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (6FAP), was modified via O-alkylation to improve the solubility of the polymer. 2-Ethylhexyl-attached 6FAP yielded a soluble copolyimide that contained ca. 70 mol% PDA using pyromellitic dianhydride. The perylene unit of the copolyimide transformed to a polyarene unit through the dipolar cycloaddition of 4-aryl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione (TAD) and maleic anhydride. The perylene transformation of the polyimide occurred with 50% conversion with maleic anhydride and quantitatively with TAD. The PDA-copolymer exhibited a spectral blue-shift and red-shift by maleic anhydride and TAD, respectively. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.