Toward perylene dyes by the Hundsdiecker reaction.

An efficient method to synthesize 3,4,9,10-tetrabromoperylenes is reported under optimized Hunsdiecker conditions. Various octasubstituted perylenes were obtained by reaction of 1,6,7,12-tetrachloro-3,4,9,10-tetrabromoperylene with phenol, trimethylsilyl chloride, cooper cyanide, or sulfur via metal-catalyzed couplings or nucleophilic substitutions. These new perylenes show completely different optical and redox properties, thus opening a facile way to develop new chromophophore structures.