Preparation of ordered stacked phthalocyanine polymers through olefin metathesis reaction

Novel phthalocyanine polymers 2 and 3 were prepared from two phthalocyanine monomers CuPc(-CH=CH₂)₈ and CuPc(-CH=CH₂)₂ bearing eight and two terminate olefin groups, respectively, through olefin metathesis reaction using a ruthenium initiator. The phthalocyanine moieties were contained in the polymer network and the main chain of the resulting phthalocyanine polymers. The polymerizations of the phthalocyanine monomers were monitored by UV-vis, NMR, MALDI-TOF-Ms, and GPC analyses. The structures of the resulting phthalocyanine polymers were studied in the solid state by X-ray diffraction measurement and transmission electron microscopy. A linear polymer 3 prepared from CuPc(-CH=CH₂)₂ produced a rodlike nanostructure, in which the copper phthalocyanine moieties were stacked with the regular stacking distance.