Effect of solvents on the electronic absorption spectra of 9,14 dibenzo (a, c) phenazine and tribenzo (a, c, i) phenazine

9,14-dibenzo (a, c) phenazine and tribenzo (a, c, i,) phenazine, were synthesized and solvent effect on the electronic absorption spectra of the compounds were studied. In some aspects of the spectra, the features of anthracene were carried into the spectrum of these synthesized phenazine derivatives with a change in symmetry. The absorption spectra of the two compounds were red–shifted compared with that of phenazine. Polar solvents shift the wavelength of absorption to the red relative to non-polar solvents, thus revealing that the observed bands have more charged excited state. This suggests that the transition is p→p* transition.    Key words: 9,14-dibenzo (a, c) phenazine, tribenzo (a, c, i,) phenazine, electronic absorption spectra, solvent effect.