The synthesis, fluorescence behaviour and singlet oxygen studies of new water-soluble cationic gallium(III) phthalocyanines

The preparation of cationic water-soluble gallium phthalocyanine derivatives are described for the first time. Peripheral and non-peripheral 3-hydroxypyridine tetrasubstituted gallium(III)phthalocyanines (5a, 6a) and their quaternarized derivatives (5b and 6b) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy and mass spectra. The quaternarized compounds (5b and 6b) are soluble in water and not aggregated (in water and in organic solvents) within a wide concentration range. General trends are described for singlet oxygen quantum yields, fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes of these compounds. These complexes showed better singlet oxygen quantum yields in water than the related quarternarized porphyrazine complexes.