NOVELTY - Benzazoloporphyrazine compounds (I) having at least one substituent R at second position of azolo group of (I), are new, where R is a surface attachment group or cross coupling group, with the proviso that R is not H or (CH2)n-CH3, and n is 0-7.    USE - (I) are useful: for producing polymers; as a member of a sandwich coordination compound (all claimed) such as a double-decker sandwich or triple-decker sandwich coordination compound; and for producing articles e.g. an electrochromic display, a molecular capacitor, a battery, a solar cell, or a molecular memory device.    ADVANTAGE - (I) have improved thermal and chemical stability.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a polymer comprising from 2-50 (I) covalently coupled to one another;    (2) a sandwich coordination compound, in which at least one member is (I);    (3) a polymer comprising 2-50 linked sandwich coordination compounds, where each of the sandwich coordination compounds comprises (I) linked to (I) of an adjacent sandwich coordination compound;    (4) the preparations of (I);    (5) preparing substituted isoindole-1,3-diylidenediamine compounds of formula (III) comprising reacting fused phthalonitrile compounds of formula (VI) in either a polar protic solvent with an alkoxide base and ammonia gas at an elevated temperature, or a polar aprotic solvent containing sodium amide;    (6) preparing (VI) comprising reacting substituted 4-amino-phthalonitrile compounds of formula (IX) with an aldehyde compound of formula (RCHO) in a polar aprotic solvent in the presence of an oxidant to produce a reaction product, and optionally reacting the reaction product with a compound of the formula (R1X11); and    (7) preparing (IX) comprising reacting substituted 4,5-diiodo-benzene-1,2-diamine compounds of formula (X) in a polar aprotic solvent with a cyanation reagent.    X = N, O, S or Se;    R = surface attachment group or cross-coupling group;    R1 = H, linear or branched 1-40C optionally substituted alkyl (when X is N) or absent;    R2 = H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl (including phenyl), halo, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, pyridyl, cyano, thiocyanato, nitro, amino, alkylamino, acyl, sulfoxyl, sulfonyl, amido or carbamoyl;    X1a = NH2, SH, OH, or SeH; and    X11 = halo, tosyl or triflate.