The invention provides conjugated polymers that have good solubility and semiconductivity, and that display high photoluminescent and electroluminescent efficiency. Representative polymers containing monomer units having the general structure of formula (I) ##STR00001## wherein: Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of monocyclic, bicyclic and polycyclic arylene, heteroarylene, substituted arylene and substituted heteroarylene groups; L is alkylene, alkenylene, substituted alkylene, substituted alkenylene, heteroalkylene, heteroalkenylene, substituted heteroalkylene, substituted heteroalkenylene, arylene, heteroarylene, substituted arylene, substituted heteroarylene, or a combination thereof; Q is a heteroatom; m is zero or 1; p is zero or 1, and q is zero or 1, with the proviso that when p is zero, then q is zero; x is zero or 1; Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkyl, substituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, and substituted heteroalkyl, and Q.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, and substituted heteroalkyl, with the proviso that when m is 1, Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 are other than H; and A.sup.- is a negatively charged counterion. Electroluminescent and other devices containing a polymer of the invention are also provided.