Synthesis and photophysical properties of indium(III) phthalocyanine derivatives

Three chloroindium(III) phthalocyanine derivatives bearing four aromatic (naphthalene or pyrene) or aliphatic (hexylthio) groups were prepared from corresponding phthalonitrile compounds. The indium(III) phthalocyanine derivatives were characterized with elemental analyses, mass, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) techniques. Quantum yields and the energy transfer from the substituents to phthalocyanine core were examined. No energy transfer was observed for 5. The energy transfer efficiency from pyrene units to indium phthalocyanine core was calculated as 0.27 for 6. Quantum yields of all samples were very small due to heavy atom effect of indium atom in the core. It was also observed that upon binding of pyrene and naphthalene units to indium phthalocyanine as substituents, the quantum yields of indium phthalocyanine parts of 5 and 6 decreased.