Abstract: | Four kinds of vinyl polymers containing N-substituted phenothiazinyl groups in side chains were obtained by syntheses of the respective monomers and subsequent polymerizations. Thus, N-acrylamidomethylphenothiazine, N-(N-acrylamidomethyl)carbamoylethyl phenothiazine, β-(N-phenothiazinyl)ethyl acrylate and methacrylate, and β-(N-phenothiazinyl)ethyl vinyl ether were synthesized. It was found that all monomers except the last monomer can be polymerized with typical free-radical initiators such as α,α′-azobisisobutyronitrile to afford stable soluble polymers with electron-donating characteristics, presumably due to the absence of a hydrogen atom at the site of the nitrogen atom of the phenothiazinyl group. The last monomer was found to be susceptible to typical cationic initiators such as boron trifluoride etherate to afford a stable soluble polymer also with the electron-donating characteristic. |