Towards chiral 1,2-naphthalocyanines: syntheses of the pure geometrical isomers of the magnesium and lutetium complexes

Planar 1,2-naphthalocyanines present four different geometrical isomers of C4h, C2v, D2h and Cs symmetries. In the case of magnesium complexes these four isomers have been isolated and characterized for the first time. The C4h and Cs isomers of the magnesium complexes have been transformed in two steps into the corresponding lutetium mononaphthalocyanines 1,2-NcLuX.