Abstract:Two kinds of benzylidene schiff base substituted phthalonitriles were prepared by 4-aminophthalonitrile, 4-methylbenzaldehyde and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, using AlCl3/Et3N as catalyst. 2(3), 9(10), 16(17), 23(24)-tetra-[(4-methylbenzylidene)amino]zinc phthalocyanine(SPc) and 2(3), 9(10), 16(17), 23(24)-tetra-[(4-methoxylbenzylidene)amino]zinc phthalocyanine(SOPc) were synthesised on the basis of cyclotetramerization of benzylidene schiff base substituted phthalonitrile. The target compounds were fully characterized by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Compared with the unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine the Q band of SPc and SOPc had red-shifted about 35 nm and 43 nm, had a weak absorption within the range between 450 nm and 600 nm. And the target compounds existed in a form of monomer in DMF solution at the range of 0.002~0.010 mmol/L mol/L. The redox behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry, the SPc and SOPc had been found to have a low LUMO (-3.24 eV, -3.29eV) and a deep HOMO (-4.88 eV, -4.71 eV) energy level. The results indicated that the LUMO and HOMO energy level of target compounds matched with the energy level of nano-TiO2.