Abstract Electronic absorption spectroscopy was employed to examine tautomeric phenomena in N,N-dimethyl-N-(1-nitro-9-acridinyl)-1,3-propanediamine (known as nitracrine—WHO, or Ledakrin in Poland) which exhibits antitumour activity, and also to examine its three nitro isomers. The analysis of the experimental absorption spectra reveals that the compounds exist in the liquid-phase in at least two forms (most probably amino and imino tautomeric forms), remaining in an equilibrium which is strongly affected by the features of a solvent. This was qualitatively confirmed by examining frequencies and oscillator strengths of electronic transitions obtained for the lowest energy structures of a given form by two independent methods based on INDO approximation. The latter methods predict that the strongest transitions occurring below 280 nm have a π→π* origin, whereas the longest wavelength transitions may be either π→π* or n→π* type and cause a shift in electron density within the acridine aromatic system and attached nitro group and exocyclic nitrogen atom.