Solvent effects on the photochemical and fluorescence properties of zinc phthalocyanine derivatives

The effects of solvents on the singlet oxygen, photobleaching and fluorescence quantum yields for zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and its derivatives; (pyridino)zinc phthalocyanine ((py)ZnPc), zinc octaphenoxyphthalocyanine (ZnOPPc) and zinc octaestronephthalocyanine (ZnOEPc), is presented. The effects of the solvents on the ground state spectra are also discussed. The largest red shift of the Q band was observed in aromatic solvents, the highest shift being observed for 1-chloronaphthalene. Higher singlet fluorescence quantum yields were observed in THF for ZnPc and ZnOPPC. Also in the same solvent phototransformation rather than photobleaching was observed for ZnOPPc. Split Q band in the emission and excitation spectra of ZnOPPc was observed in some solvents and this is explained in terms of the lowering of symmetry following excitation. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.