Preparation of phthalocyanine(3−) species as bulk material by reduction of the dichloro(phthalocyaninato)antimony(V) complex cation

By reduction of dichloro(phthalocyaninato)antimony(V) complex, [Sb(pc)Cl2]+ (pc2−=phthalocyaninate, C32H16N8 2−), its pc3− species has been prepared as bulk material using elemental silver as the electron donor. One electron reduction of [Sb(pc)Cl2]+ proceeded without any side reaction. The obtained pc3− species has been characterized by its ESR, electronic absorption, infra-red, and mass spectra. The electronic absorption spectrum of the [Sb(pc3−radical dot)Cl2] species was identical with that of the known spectroelectrochemically studied [Sb(pc3−radical dot)Cl2]. The first infra-red spectrum of the pc3− species of metallophthalocyanine is reported and indicates that the structural change upon the reduction is insignificant.