Fluorinated/non-fluorinated bisphenoxy benzyl ether zinc(II) phthalocyanine: Synthesis, photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer and intermolecular energy transfer

Abstract Two novel series of fluorinated and non-fluorinated bisphenoxy benzyl ether with cyano/pentyl terminal groups zinc(II) phthalocyanines were synthesized. Their structures were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS methods. The photophysical properties, photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer, and photoinduced intramolecular energy transfer of fluorinated and non-fluorinated phthalocyanines were compared by UV–Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. These properties exhibited fluorinated substituents and terminal groups nature dependence. Fluorinated zinc(II) phthalocyanine with pentyl ester terminal groups had the highest molar absorption coefficient, fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime. Non-fluorinated zinc(II) phthalocyanine with cyano terminal groups exhibited the highest energy transfer efficiency.