AbstractThe electrochemical behaviour of three fluoro‐substituted aniline monomers, 2‐fluoroaniline (2FAN), 3‐fluoroaniline (3FAN) and 4‐fluoroaniline (4FAN), was investigated in aqueous acidic and organic media by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies. Constant potential electrolysis (CPE) of the monomers in acetonitrile–water mixture (1:1 by volume) using NaClO4 as supporting electrolyte yielded soluble polymers. The mechanism of electrochemical polymerization was investigated using in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) and in situ UV–VIS spectroscopic techniques for one of the monomers (4FAN). Both CV and in situ UV–VIS measurements indicated that the polymers obtained are in the emeraldine base form. In situ ESR studies indicated that electrochemical polymerization involves a radical‐cation as an intermediate. Characterization of polymer products have been carried out using FTIR and NMR spectroscopic techniques, and thermal behaviour was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that conductivity can be imparted to as‐synthesized polyfluoroanilines via iodine doping.© 2002 Society of Chemical Industry