Spiro-Fused Perylene Diimide Arrays

The straightforward palladium-catalyzed synthesis protocol toward spiro-fused perylene diimides is developed. The reaction involves two palladium-catalyzed C–H activations and 4-fold C–C bond formation sequence from readily available precursors. This facile and step-economic approach also provides another convenient access to ethylene-bridged dimer (NDP) and further π-extended spiro system (SNTP). In addition, the molecular structure of spirodiperylenetetraimide (SDP) is illustrated to show a three-dimensional (3D) cruciform configuration, and its absorbance is distinctly red-shifted due to the significant spiroconjugation effect. With combined properties of broadened and intensive absorption, aligned LUMO levels, and unique molecular geometry, the spiro-fused PDI system represents a new kind of high-performance semiconducting framework as the electron acceptor in high-efficiency organic solar cells.