Polyethyleneoxide-capped phthalocyanines: limiting phthalocyanine aggregation to dimer formation

The synthesis and characterization of a soluble metal-free polyethyleneoxide-capped phthalocyanine and the corresponding lead compound are described. This phthalocyanine was designed to allow the formation of dimers but to inhibit formation of higher aggregates. The monomer/dimer equilibrium constant in chloroform solutions is 750 ± 20 l mol -1. No evidence for higher aggregates was found. The molecular extinction coefficient of the metal-free polyethyleneoxide-capped phthalocyanine in chloroform is one of the lowest known (2.5 × 104 l mol -1 cm -1). The lead-substituted material was demonstrated to be a reverse saturable absorber from 532 nm to about 610 nm. It possesses a large nonlinear absorption coefficient in the visible and is a promising optical limiter material.