Phthalocyanines are structurally related to other macrocyclic pigments, especially the porphyrins. Both feature four pyrrole-like subunits linked to form a 16-membered ring. The pyrrole-like rings within H
2Pc are closely related to isoindole. Both porphyrins and phthalocyanines function as planar tetradentate dianionic ligands that bind metals through four inwardly projecting nitrogen centers. Such complexes are formally derivatives of Pc2−
, the conjugate base of H
2Pc.