Formation of Metallophthalocyanine Trimers in Liquid Solutions

For solutions of the complexes of phthalocyanine (PhC) with magnesium (Mg-PhC) and of tetrachloromethyl-PhC with zinc (Zn-PhCCh) in mixtures of glycerin with dimethyl formamide (DMF) and for Zn-PhCCh in toluene and DMF it has been found that the electron absorption spectra substantially depend on the substance concentration. It is shown that these changes are attributable to the association of the molecules of pigments. The number of molecules in the associates and the equilibrium constants for this association are determined. The formation of the trimers of Mg-PhC in binary solutions and the dimers of Zn-PhCCh in toluene, DNF, and binary solutions has been established. It has been found that on association the Q absorption bands of the pigments shift to shorter wavelengths as compared to the bands of the monomers. For the Mg-PhC trimers, the shift is = 1410 cm^–1, while for the Zn-PhCCh dimers it is 990 cm^–1 in toluene, 930 cm^–1 in DMF, and 925 cm^–1 in the mixture of DMF with glycerin. It is concluded that the structure of the trimers and dimers is of the type of a stack in which molecules are arranged in parallel one above the other at a distance of 3.5 to 4.0 Å between the planes of the molecules. In association, the fluorescence intensity of the pigments decreases substantially (the decrease corresponds to the decrease in the concentration of the monomer molecules of phthalocyanines), with the fluorescence spectra remaining unchanged. Consequently, the associates of the pigments do not display pronounced fluorescence.