Synthesis and optical properties of novel asymmetric perylene bisimides

Abstract

A novel series of asymmetric perylene bisimides, 1-amino-7-nitroperylene bisimides (1a–1c), was synthesized and fully characterized. These molecules undergo an excited-state intramolecular electron transfer reaction, resulting in a unique charge transfer emission in the near-infrared region, of which the peak wavelength exhibits strong solvatochromism. The dipole moments of these compounds have been estimated using the Lippert–Mataga equation, and upon excitation, the molecules show larger dipole moment changes than those of the symmetric 1,7-diaminoperylene bisimides (2a–2c). Furthermore, these dyes undergo two quasi-reversible one-electron oxidations and two quasi-reversible one-electron reductions in dichloromethane at modest potentials. They display good thermal stability and optical stability that can be used as stable near-infrared fluorescent dyes. Their spectroscopic properties in various conditions and complementary time-dependent density functional theory calculations are reported.