A new copolymer, referred to as poly(phenylene-vinylene) (PPV)-ether, built as PPV a polymer with some (-CH=CH-) links changed into (-CH2-O-CH2-) ethylic-ether links, is insoluble in common solvents. PPV-ether films are deposited by the thermal evaporation technique. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for chemical analysis measurements indicate that the surface contamination decrease in the case of vacuum-evaporated PPV-ether. The scanning electron micrographs indicate that the surface of these vacuum-deposited PPV-ether are uniform. By comparison to the reference powder, the modification of the properties of the evaporated PPV-ether are related to the decrease of the chain length and surface contamination. The results of the photoluminescence measurements reveal a shifting of the luminescence to blue in the vacuum-evaporated PPV-ether. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.