Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of biphenyl-malonic ester substituted cobalt,copper, and palladium phthalocyanines

Phthalocyanines with four biphenyl-malonic ester groups on the periphery were synthesized by cyclotetramerization of 4-(1,1-dicarbethoxy-2-(4-biphenyl)-ethyl)-phthalonitrile. The new compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV–Vis, and MASS spectral data. Electrochemical behaviors of novel Co(II), Cu(II), and Pd(II) phthalocyanines were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, potential differential pulse voltammetry, and applied potential chronocoulometry techniques. While Cu(II) and Pd(II) phthalocyanines give up to four common phthalocyanine ring reductions, Co(II) phthalocyanine gave two ligand-centered and two metal-centered redox processes. HOMO–LUMO gap of the complexes are comparable with the reported MPc papers.