Synthesis, characterization and properties of 1,11,15,25-tetrahydroxy-4,8,18,22-bis(bridging butanedioic acid)phthalocyanine copper

•We have synthesized novel phthalocyanine derivative bearing peripheral 1,11,15,25-tetrahydroxy-4,8,18,22-Bis(bridging butanedioic acid)substituent.•The newly synthesized phthalocyanine copper was soluble in chloroform, THF, DMSO and DMF, and less soluble in i-PrOH.•In cyclic voltammetry experiments, 1,11,15,25-tetrahydroxy-4,8,18,22-Bis(bridging butanedioic acid)phthalocyanine copper displayed three macrocycle-centred redox processes; two reduction and one oxidation processes.•CuPc is most likely to be made the yellow light-emitting device on the results of fluorescence spectra. The NIR EL spectra displayed the characteristic spectra of CuPc with a band near 1098nm. The OLED device could emit in visible (yellow or blue-yellow) region as well as NIR region.