Crosswise Phthalocyanines with Collinear Functionalization: New Paradigmatic Derivatives for Efficient Singlet Oxygen Photosensitization.

We describe here the preparation of a series of trans-ABAB Zn(II) phthalocyanines (ZnPcs, which combine several interesting features. First, these compounds present high solubility and hindered aggregation, due to the functionalization of two facing isoindole constituents (B) of the ZnPc with bis(trifluoromethylphenyl) units. Second, the other two isoindoles (A) bear extra-annulated phthalimide units containing different substituents in the nitrogen positions, this feature results in a collinear arrangement of a variety of functional groups. Some of these collinearly functionalized ZnPcs are interesting building blocks for constructing either homo- or heteroarrays containing ZnPc units. Furthermore, the amphiphilic nature of some members of the series renders them interesting candidates for photosensitization of singlet oxygen. Photophysical studies on a model compound of the series have shown that these molecules are efficient singlet oxygen photosensitizers in both polar and apolar media, with O quantum yields (φ ) as high as 0.74.