Copper phthalocyanines (CuPc) containing alkylthio (-S(CH 2) n CH 3 , n=7 and 15), alkyloxy-(-O(CH 2) n CH 3 , n=7 and 15) and polyoxo (-O(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3 and-S(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3) substituents were synthesized and investigated to reveal the effects of substituents type (alkylthio, alkyloxy and polyoxo) and the type of the connecting heteroatom (oxygen or sulphur) on the mesogenic properties, films alignment and sensing behaviour. The liquid crystalline properties of these phthalocyanines were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The structure and morphology of spun thin films of copper phthalocyanine derivatives were studied by the UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopies as well atomic force microscopy. The sensing properties of CuPc films were studied by the measurement of conductivity change upon interaction with ammonia in the range 10-50 ppm. All investigated films of CuPc derivatives display thermotropic columnar mesomorphism. It was shown that the films with polyoxo-(-O(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3 and-S(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3) substituents as well as with alkylthio-S(CH 2) n CH 3 (n=7) substituents, which are liquid crystalline at room temperature, form ordered films with a random planar alignment of columns. Their films exhibit the better sensor performance with the maximal sensor response for the films of CuPc containing (-S(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 CH 3) substituents.

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Silicon (IV) phthalocyanines bearing one or two biotin groups on the axially positions were synthesized, and these novel phthalocyanines were characterized by elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, [Formula: see text]H NMR, UV-vis and MALDI-TOF. The synthesized compounds are the first examples of axially biotin substituted silicon (IV) phthalocyanines. These phthalocyanines were designed as targeting photosensitizers for the treatment of cancer by photodynamic therapy (PDT) technique. The phthalocyanine ring was selected for its photosensitizer ability and the biotin group was selected as a targeting agent for increasing accumulation of these photosensitizers in tumor cells. The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen generation) properties of the target silicon(IV) phthalocyanines were investigated in DMSO. The photosensitizing efficiency of the studied phthalocyanines was tested against human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells at different photosensitizer concentrations. Both axially mono- and bis-biotin substituted silicon(IV) phthalocyanines present high photocytotoxicity against HeLa cancer cells with the cell survival degree ranging from 13% to 50%. The photosensitivity and the intensity of damage were found to be directly related to the concentration of the used photosensitizers. According to the obtained results, both silicon(IV) phthalocyanine derivatives could be promising as photosensitizers for treatment of cancer by PDT technique.