Silver phthalocyanine preparation

The preparation of silver phthalocyanine (PcAg) is carried out by metal insertion into metal-free phthalocyanine from silver(I) nitrate. The reaction is performed in dimethylformamide291 or in a mixture of 1,2-dichloroethane, sodium acetate and acetic acid.231... 

Silver phthalocyanine may be prepared by the action of silver nitrate on dilithium phthalocyanine in absolute alcohol at room temperature, or by the action of silver sulfate upon lead phthalocyanine in boiling chloronaphthalene (11). It is rapidly decomposed by sulfuric acid (11, 26), and... 

Equations (II) to (IX) illustrate basic methods of preparation, but many variations are used, particularly in industry, to obtain an economic yield. Phthalic acid, phthalamide, phthalimide, and phthalic anhydride, together with urea, are often used instead of phthalonitrile, and catalysts such as ammonium molybdate or zirconium tetrachloride may be employed (249, 251, 269). The reaction between phthalonitrile and metals (finely divided or acid-etched) is usually very vigorous at 250°-300°C, sufficient heat being generated to maintain the reaction temperature. This is an illustration of the ease with which the phthalocyanine skeleton is formed. Even more surprising are the observations that palladium black (118) and gold (189) will dissolve in molten phthalonitrile. Reaction (III) between phthalonitrile and a finely divided metal, metal hydride, oxide, or chloride is perhaps the most generally employed. For the unstable phthalocyanine complexes such as that of silver (11), the double decomposition reaction... 

Dichlorosilicon phthalocyanine (XIX) is prepared from silicon tetrachloride and phthalonitrile in quinoline at 200°C 168,170). The blue-green crystals, which sublime readily at 430°C in vacuo, hydrolyze forming dihydroxysilicon phthalocyanine (XX) when refluxed with equal volumes of pyridine and aqueous ammonia (200). The corresponding difluorosilicon phthalocyanine is resistant to hydrolysis. Conversion of the chloride to the corresponding dicyanate, dithiocyanate, and diselenocyanate occurs upon reaction with the appropriate silver pseudohalide (178). The complexes are believed to involve nitrogen to silicon bonding in the case of the thiocyanate and selenocyanate. 

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