ABAB Phthalocyanines: Scaffolds for Building Unprecedented Donor-π-Acceptor Chromophores.

Unique donor-π-acceptor phthalocyanines have been synthesized through the asymmetric functionalization of an ABAB phthalocyanine, crosswise functionalized with two iodine atoms through Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with adequate electron-donor and electron-acceptor moieties. These push-pull molecules have been optically and electrochemically characterized, and their ability to perform as chromophores for dye-sensitized solar cells has been tested.