First example of a hexadentate bicyclic phthalocyanine analogue containing a divalent metal center.

A reaction of 1,2-dicyanobenzene and lithium methoxide at 70 °C in methanol yielded the half-phthalocyanine intermediate, which coordinates to a cadmium(II) ion in the subsequent reaction step to give the first example of a six-coordinate phthalocyanine analogue containing a divalent metal ion at the center.