Synthesis of magneto-optically active polyanilines

We report preparation of polyaniline (PANI) with radicals on the N-positions. Chirality of a PANI having optically active substituent is retained even upon oxidation by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in chloroform to generate spin species. Electron spin resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopy measurements suggest that the chiral paramagnetic properties of PANIs are derived from the combination of chiral side chains and oxy-radicals in the structure of the polymer. This report focuses on a new synthetic approach for obtaining magneto-optically active polyanilines.