Chirality of Perylene Diimides: Design Strategies and Applications

Chirality is a particularly important concept in nature and exists at all length scales, ranging from the molecular level to the supramolecular level. Over the last two decades, various design strategies have been developed to construct chiral materials based on perylene diimides (PDIs) and to mimic the chiral assembly process in biological systems, but applications of these chiral aggregates are still at an early stage. This Minireview summarizes recent progress in the synthesis and properties of chiral PDIs. The chirality in PDI-based materials can be generated by three different approaches: from the twisted planes of PDIs, the chiral substituents of PDIs, and the co-assembly of achiral PDIs and chiral guests. A comprehensive understanding of the applications of chiral PDIs as well as potential future developments is also provided.