Phthalocyanine-containing polymers

The optical and electronic properties of the phthalocyanine (Pc) macrocycle make it suitable for a wide range of applications. The enormous diversity of Pc-containing polymers, developed over thirty years of research, offers the prospect of readily processed materials in which covalent linkages can be used to control the ordering and arrangement of the Pc units. This article reviews both the synthesis and study of Pc-containing polymers. The types of polymer are classified by the way in which the macrocycle is incorporated within the macromolecular structure as either network, main-chain or side-chain polymers. In addition, recent work on the incorporation of the Pc macrocycle as polymer end-groups or as the core unit in a number of dendrimers is also described.