The electronic states of platinum phthalocyanines (PtPc) are investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Pt 4f and N 1s core-level spectra show that the oxidation state of the PtPc is + 2 and that the nitrogens on the pyrrole ring are in the same environment. These results indicate that the electronic charge is distributed equivalently around the centre Pt metal. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.