4,5-Diaminophthalodinitrile was reacted with formic acid to synthesize 5,6-
dicyanobenzimidazole which was used as starting material for preparing a me
tal-free phthalocyanine with four annelated imidazole moieties, as well as
its copper complex. The effect of the heteroannelation on the physicochemic
al and spectral properties of the synthesized compounds was discussed.