PREPARATION OF NONMETALLIZED PHTHALOCYANINE

Process for the preparation of metal-free phthalocyanines which can carry up to 16 halogen atoms, cyano groups, carboxyl groups, sulpho groups, C1-C18-alkyl groups and/or aryl radicals as substituents by reductive cyclisation of ortho-phthalodinitrile, substituted ortho-phthalodinitriles or mixtures thereof, which comprises effecting the cyclisation in C2-C4-alkylene monoglycols, oligoglycols or polyglycols, their mono-C1-C8-alkyl or -aryl ethers or their mixtures in the presence of an aromatic compound of the general formula I where the substituents X can be identical or different and each denotes hydroxyl, mercapto, amino or C1-C6-alkylamino, the substituents Y can likewise be identical or different and each denotes halogen, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-alkoxy or C1-C6-alkoxycarbonyl, m is 1 to 4 and n is 0 to 5, subject to the proviso that m + n