Microwave-Assisted Method for the Synthesis of Perylene Ester Imides as a Gateway Toward Unsymmetrical Perylene Bisimides

A high yielding microwave-assisted synthetic method to obtain unsymmetrical perylene diester monoimide (PEI) by treating the perylene tetrester (PTE) with a requisite amine is reported. Perylene-based molecules are widely used in the construction of self-assembled supramolecular structures because of their propensity to aggregate under various conditions. In comparison to perylene bisimides (PBIs), PEIs are less studied in organic electronics/self-assembly due to the synthetic difficulty and low yields in their preparation. PEIs are less electron deficient and have an unsymmetric structure in comparison to PBIs. Further, the PEIs have a higher solubility than PBIs. The present method is applicable with a wide range of substrates like aliphatic, aromatic, benzyl amines, PTEs, and bay-annulated PTEs. This method provides a tuning handle for the optical/electronic properties of perylene derivatives and also provides an easy access to unsymmetrical PBIs from the PEIs.