Soluble poly(para-phenylene) having a long polymer chain (more than six repeat units) was synthesized with a tert-butyl end-group (t-PPP) and was found to have improved solubility and excellent optical properties. Poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene) (PCHD) consisting of only 1,4-cyclohexadiene (1,4-CHD) units was synthesized with a tert-butyl end-group (t-PCHD), and completely dehydrogenated to obtain t-PPP. This end-group effectively prevented the crystallization of t-PPP, and polymers containing up to 16 repeat units were soluble in tetrahydrofuran. Soluble t-PPP obtained had an ability to form a tough thin film prepared by spin-coating method. Optical analyses of t-PPP provided strong evidence for a linear polymer chain structure. A block copolymer of t-PPP and a soluble polyphenylene (PPH) was then synthesized, and the excellent optical properties were retained by this block copolymer along with its solubility. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.