Poly(triphenylamine-p-phenylenevinylene)s with two different end-groups were obtained through a Wittig polycondensation. The structures of two copolymers were characterized. Ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra show the end-capped polymer emits intensive green light in both solution and film state. Their applications in the detection of nitro compounds were investigated, and the results show high fluorescence quenching sensitivity of the end-capped polymer towards o-nitrotoluene (o-NT). When the concentration of o-NT was 21.5 6 10 23 mol/L, the fluorescence quenching reached 96%. Additionally, after the exposure of polymer film in three different quenchers such as dinitrotoluene (DNT), p-nitrobenzoquinone (p-BQ) and p-nitrotoluene (p-NT) for 600 s, its fluorescence quenching reached 93.6%, 11.5% and 77.9%, respectively. This kind of polymer has great advantages in preparation and may find applications in the detection of nitro explosives.