Seven compds. contg. dibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DPPh) skeleton were synthesized by condensation of 9,10-phenantroquinone or 1,10-phenantroline-5,6-dione with N atom-contg. compds. in presence of glacial AcOH. They were tested as potential photoinitiators for polymn. of trimethylpropane triacrylate under irradn. in the visible light region (intensity 18 mV/cm(2)) to det. the initial polymn. rate. The photoinitiating efficiency of polymn. depended on the location of N atoms in modified DPPh structure and quantum yield of the triplet state formation of the photoinitiator.