Novel nanoparticles based on conjugated polymer with good fluorescent properties were synthesized by Suzuki coupling reaction using certain surfactants as one kind of special emulsion polymerization. The luminescent properties of the prepared nanoparticles could be controlled by selecting different monomers. Without using substances comprising any heavy metal element, these fluorescent nanoparticles show very good biocompatibility with cells, thus showing potential applications in cell biolabeling, drug delivery tracing, organic light-emitting diodes, flat displays, and other areas. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4867-4874,2010