New functional polymeric, semiconducting materials were synthesized by chemical
oxidative polymerization of acriflavine hydrochloride in aqueous solution at room temperature,
using ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant. Polymerization products were characterized by gelpermeation
chromatography (GPC), FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
conductivity measurements. The influence of the oxidant/monomer molar ratio on the molecular
structure, molecular weight distribution and the electrical conductivity of polyacriflavines was
studied. Molecular weights approach a maximum value of ~20000. The polyacriflavine prepared by
using oxidant/monomer molar ratio 1.25 shows the conductivity of 2.8 × 10–7 S cm–1. New
substitution pattern shown by FTIR spectroscopic analysis combined with MNDO-PM3 semiempirical
quantum chemical calculations revealed N─C2 coupling reactions as dominant. The
formation of phenazine rings in ladder structured polymerization products was observed by FTIR
spectroscopy. The existence of a certain polyacriflavine crystalline structure was suggested from the
SEM micrographs.