Synthesis and physicochemical behavior of new low symmetry Ge, Ti and Sn phthalocyanines: Effect of central metal

► Low symmetry Sn, Ti and Ge phthalocyanines containing one carboxyl group are synthesized. ► The photophysical and photochemical behavior of the complexes are studied. ► Ge phthalocyanines gave the highest singlet oxygen and triplet state quantum yields. ► All complexes could generate singlet oxygen with yields larger than 0.5.