New phenothiazine macrocycles with polyethyleneoxy chains were synthesized in good yields by reacting 10-ethyl-10H-3,7-di(3-hydroxyphenyl)phenothiazine with diiodurated or ditosylated polyethyleneglycols. Their structures were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography in the case of one compound. The electronic properties were determined by absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry and their complexation ability for alkali cations was investigated by ES-HRMS. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.