The invention relates to 2,7-substituted-9-substituted fluorenes and 9-substituted fluorene oligomers and polymers. The fluorenes, oligomers and polymers are substituted at the 9-position with two hydrocarbyl moieties which may optionally contain one or more of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous or silicon heteroatoms; a C5-20 ring structure formed with the 9-carbon on the fluorene ring or a C4-20 ring structure formed with the 9-carbon containing one or more heteroatoms of sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen; or a hydrocarbylidene moiety. In one embodiment, the fluorenes are substituted at the 2- and 7-positions with aryl moieties which may further be substituted with moieties which are capable of crosslinking or chain extension or a trialkylsiloxy moiety. The fluorene polymers and oligomers may be substituted at the 2- and 7null-positions. The monomer units of the fluorene oligomers and polymers are bound to one another at the 2- and 7null-positions. The 2,7null-aryl-9-substituted fluorene oligomers and polymers may be further reacted with one another to form higher molecular weight polymers by causing the optional moieties on the terminal 2,7null-aryl moieties, which are capable of crosslinking or chain extension, to undergo chain extension or crosslinking. Also disclosed are processes for preparing the disclosed compounds.