The Porphyrin Handbook, Volume 17: Phthalocyanines: Properties and Materials provides information pertinent to every aspect of the chemistry, synthesis, spectroscopy, and structure of phthalocyanines. This book examines the biology and medical implications of porphyrin systems. Organized into five chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the effects of pressure, temperature, electromagnetic radiation, and particle impact on phthalocyanines. This text then examines. Other chapters consider the research on phthalocyanine thin films, with emphasis on studies that are concerned primarily with film structures. This book discusses as well the nature of the phthalocyanine aggregation process, how an aggregate is defined, and the issues of its bonding and structure. The final chapter deals with the advances in the design of composites of phthalocyanines or porphyrins and inorganic hosts and some of the most significant finding in the catalysis with these systems. This book is a valuable resource for research scientists, engineers, and clinicians.