Two compounds containing the benzothiazole moiety, 4-(2-benzothiazole-2-yl-vinyl)-phenyl methacrylate (BVMA) and 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid 4-(2-benzothiazole-2-yl-vinyl phenyl ester (BPBVE) were synthesized. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of BVMA was conducted at 60 degrees C using BPBVE and CuBr/2,2'-bipyridine (BPY) as initiator and catalyst, respectively. Chain extension with 4-methacryloxy-hexyloxy-4'-nitrostilbene (MHNS) was conducted using PBVMA as the macroinitiator. The homopolymer PBVMA in DMF solution emitted blue fluorescence, and the copolymer PBVMA-b-PMHNS emitted orange fluorescence at about 610 nm due to the intramolecular energy transfer. ATRP of BVMA was also conducted using 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid 4-nitrostilbene-hexyloxy ester (BPNHE) as an initiator. The obtained polymer was characterized via H-1 NMR and the fluorescence intensity was found to change with increasing number average molecular weight (M-n). The polymer with M-n = 15900 emitted white fluorescence in DMF solution. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.