Synthesis and applications of core-enlarged perylene dyes

Perylene dyes not only feature high chemical and photochemical stability, high molar absorptivities and fluorescence quantum yields but also offer wide possibilities for chemical functionalisation via the introduction of hydrophobic or hydrophilic substituents, electron donors or acceptors, and functional groups for attachment to polymers or biomolecules. In the past decade, novel homologues of perylene (containing additional naphthalene units and bearing additional aromatic rings) have been reported. In this article, we summarise synthetic routes to core-enlarged perylene dyes as well as their practical applications.