Macrocyclic porphyrin-like compounds known as phthalocyanines (Pcs) have been shown to produce singlet oxygen species upon illumination with light of an appropriate wavelength. Singlet oxygen is an effective agent for complete oxidation of common water-soluble pollutants including chlorinated phenols. The most active are, in this respect, phthalocyanines bearing Al, Zn and Si central atoms. Although these compounds were proofed to be virtually non-toxic, the presence of the Al3+ and Zn2+ ions may contradict this. On the other hand e.g. iron phthalocyanine (FePc) does not represent any danger from this point of view. However, due to the specific coordination of its central metal ion and also because of the number of electrons occupying its valence orbitals, the FePc cannot be effectively activated by the photon flux. Here we report on an alternative system in the dark. It is based on the initial catalytic decomposition of various peroxo substances by metal Pc, producing oxidising species which can decompose chlorinated phenols. A series of Pcs and peroxo substances were compared and the reaction system optimised. It was shown that the highest activity was revealed for the system comprising of FePc and tert-butylhydroperoxide. Iron phthalocyanine was also successfully immobilised on an Al2O3 solid matrix, and this heterogeneous system was tested analogously to the homogeneous one. Virtually zero leaching of the anchored complex was detected and the activity was found to be comfortably high. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.