A comprehensive investigation on the synthesis and properties of a series of ferrocene-containing (meth)acrylate monomers and their polymers that differ in the linkers between the ferrocene unit and the backbone was carried out. The side-chain ferrocene-containing polymers were prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization. The kinetic studies indicated that polymerization of most monomers followed a "controlled"/living manner. The polymerization rates were affected by the vinyl monomer structures and decreased with an increase of the linker length. Methacrylate polymerization was much faster than acrylate polymerization. The optical absorption of monomers and polymers was affected by the linkers. Thermal properties of these polymers can be tuned by controlling the length of the linker between the ferrocene unit and the backbone. By increasing the length of the linker, the glass transition temperature ranged from over 100 to -20 degrees C. Electrochemical properties of both monomers and polymers were characterized. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 49: 1409-1420,2011