A series easily soluble polyarylates were synthesized from either 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylethane or tetramethylbisphenol A with various aromatic diacid chlorides by the two-phase interfacial polycondensation. These polyarylates have the inherent viscositiesin the range of 0.36-0.97 dL/g, and their number-average and weight-average molecular weights determined by gel permeation chromatography are 14,20043,200 and 31,900-102,500, respectively. All these polyarylates are readily soluble in a wide range of organic solvents, thus these polymers can be convenient to process into heat resistance films by cast, spin- or dip-coating. The polyarylates have the glass transition temperatures in the range of 165.0-201.6 degrees C. The pendent phenyl-containing polyarylates reveal excellent thermal stability, and their initial degradation temperatures are all above 480 degrees C and char yields at 700 degrees C are 37.97-40.53% in nitrogen atmosphere. However, the polymers prepared from tetramethylbisphenol A have a large decrease in thermal stability, and their initial degradation temperatures in nitrogen are only about 440 degrees C. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 119: 1923-1930, 2011