Tetra and octa(2,6-di-iso-propylphenoxy)-substituted phthalocyanines:

This work reports on the synthesis of novel metal free, zinc, aluminum, gallium and indium tetra and octa (2,6-di-iso-propylphenoxy)-substituted phthalocyanine derivatives. UV-visible and ¹H NMR analyses confirm that a non-planar conformation, adapted by the phenoxy substituents due to steric interaction in both derivative series, perfectly discourage cofacial aggregation. Fluorescence quantum yields vary as a function of the number of substituents on the ring periphery, while the fluorescence lifetimes display no distinct trend. Triplet quantum yields are significantly larger for the tetra 2,6-di-iso-propylphenoxy- substituted derivatives relative to their corresponding octa-substituted species. However there was no overall trend in the triplet lifetime values. For almost all of the phthalocyanine derivatives, singlet oxygen was produced with relatively good quantum yields. This study explores the possibility of fine-tuning their physicochemical properties by simple structural modification.