A perylene dye is a dye based on the perylene framework. Perylene itself consists of two naphthalene units connected at the peri-position and in perylene homologues new naphthalene units are added, forming compounds - or poly(peri-naphthalene)s - such as terrylene, quarterrylene. . In mono- and di-imide derivatives solubility is greatly improved.
Perylene dyes are actively researched in academia for optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices, thermographic processes, energy-transfer cascades, light-emitting diodes, and near-infrared-absorbing systems.[1]
A bathochromic shift of about 100 nm is recorded per additional naphthalene unit.
Several perylene pigments have been developed for artist's paints :