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Infections caused by pathogenic fungi, especially Candida albicans, are a growing global challenge for public health. Current antifungal drugs have been administered commonly to treat Candida infections, yet their high toxicity and the development of multidrug-resistant strains pose a threat. The present report describes the synthesis, characterization, and antifungal activity of a novel class of water-soluble conjugated polymers (CPs) bearing imidazolium functionality in the polymer backbone that combine both photodynamic and polyionic properties. The photophysical properties of the polymers were studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy, and all the polymers are demonstrated to generate reactive oxygen species. In vitro antifungal activity studies were performed with the CPs along with two other poly(p-phenylene ethynylene) polymers functionalized with imidazolium units in the side chains and …