A group of new amphiphilic poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing polar oligo (ethylene oxide) pendants, poly{4-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]phenylacetylene) (1), poly(4-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-ethoxy]ethoxy]pheny}acetylene) (2p), poly(3-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}phenylacetylene) (2m), poly(4-{2-[2-(2-methanesulfonyloxy ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}phenylacetylene) (3), poly(4-{2-[2-(p-toluenesulfonyloxyethoxy) ethoxy]ethoxy)phenylacetylene) (4), poly(4-(2-[2-(2-trimethy]silyloxy-ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}phenylacetylene) (5), and poly(4-[2-[2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}phenylacetylene) (6), were synthesized with organorhodium complexes as the polymerization catalysts. The structures and properties of the polymers were characterized with IR, UV, NMR, and thermogravimetric analysis. 1, 2p, and 2m, the three polymers containing pendants with hydroxyl groups, were oligomeric or insoluble. The organorhodium complexes worked well for the polymerization of the monomers without hydroxyl groups, giving soluble polymers 3-6 with a weight-average molecular weight up to similar to 160 x 10(3) and a yield up to 99%. Z-rich polymers 3-6 could be prepared by judicious selections of the catalyst under optimal conditions. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.