A halogenated aromatic monomer-metal complex useful for preparing a polymer for electronic devices such as a light-emitting diode (LED) device is described. The aromatic monomer-metal complex is designed to include a linking group that disrupts conjugation, thereby advantageously reducing or preventing electron delocalization between the aromatic monomer fragment and the metal complex fragment. Disruption of conjugation is often desirable to preserve the phosphorescent emission properties of the metal complex in a polymer formed from the aromatic monomer-metal complex. The resultant conjugated electroluminescent polymer has precisely controlled metal complexation and electronic properties that are substantially or completely independent of those of the polymer backbone.