Three new poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-based polymers containing two 1,3,4-oxadiazole moieties in the main chain per repeat unit were synthesized by Heck coupling. A single, double, or triple bond was introduced between the oxadiazoles to provide a means for modifying the polymer properties. The polymers were readily soluble in common organic solvents and showed T-g values lower than 50 degrees C. The color of the emissive light in both the solid state and the solution could be tuned by a change in the nature of the bond between the oxadiazole rings. The polymers emitted ultraviolet-green light in solution with a photoluminescence (PL) emission maximum at 345-483 mm and blue-green light at 458-542 nm in thin films. The PL quantum yields in solution were 0.36-0.43. The electrochemical properties are affected by the nature of the bond between the oxadiazoles as well. In polymers with a single bond between the oxadiazoles, a lower ionization potential was observed than in polymers with a double or triple bond. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3079-3090, 2005.