Several novel poly(pyridinium salt)s with oxyalkylene moieties in the main chain with bulky organic counterions (tosylate and triflimide) were prepared by either the ring-transmutation polymerization of phenylated bis(pyrylium tosylate) salt with a series of oxyalkylene containing diamines in dimethyl sulfoxide on heating for 48 h or the metathesis reaction of the corresponding tosylate polymers with lithium triflimide in methanol. Their chemical structures were determined by elemental analysis and H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopies, and their polyelectrolyte behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide was determined by solution viscosity measurements. Their weight average molecular weights were in the range 14,000-22,000 and polydispersity indices were in the range 1.20-1.70 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. They were characterized both for their thermotropic and lyotropic liquid-crystalline properties by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Since these polymers exhibited liquid-crystalline phase both in the melt and in solution, they can be appropriately classified as amphotropic class of ionic polymers. Their light-emitting properties were also determined by using spectrofluorometry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.