Patent ID: 7153841

Claim:
A metal substituted non-centrosymmetrical phthalocyanine of formula (I): wherein: n is 1, 2 or 4; M is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Si(OR 7 ) 2 and AlOR 7 wherein R 7 is selected from the group consisting of H and C 1-15 alkyl; R is selected from the groups consisting of: —COOH, —SH, —OH, —NH 2 , —CO—CH 2 —Br, —SO 2 Cl, maleimide, hydrazide, phenol, imidate, biotine, possibly bound to the phthalocyanine nucleus through a suitable linker and when n=2 and the two groups R 1 are in the positions 9,10,16,17,23,24, said two groups R 1 can form a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle, possibly substituted, which may contain up to two heteroatoms chosen from N, O, S; or R 1 is represented by the group (X) p R 2 , wherein: X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, —NR 5 and —CH 2 — and R 2 is where: Y is selected from the group consisting of C 1-10 alkyl and phenyl, possibly substituted, or it forms with the Z group, to which it is bound, a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle, possibly substituted, which may contain up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O and S; Z is selected from the group consisting of —N, —CH 2 N and —CONHCH 2 CH 2 N; R 3 and R 4 , equal or different from one another, are selected from the group consisting of C 1-15 alkyl and phenyl, or form with the Z group, to which they are bound, a saturated or unsaturated heterocycle, possibly substituted, which may contain up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O and S; R 5 and R 6 , equal or different from one another, are selected from the group consisting of H and C 1-15 alkyl; m, n, p, w, t and u, independently from one another, are 0 or 1;and v is an integer comprised between 1 and 3; with the proviso that: R is in the position 1 or 2, R 1 is in the positions: 8(11), 15(18), 22(25), or 9(10), 16(17), 23(24) when n=1, R 1 is in the positions: 8,11,15,18,22,25 or 9,10,16,17,23,24 when n=2.