Building Up Colors: Multilayered Arrays of Peryleneimides on Flat Surfaces and Mesoporous Layers

Novel monoisomeric perylene imide derivatives with terpyridinyl and pyrrolidinyl substituents were synthesized and deposited onto solid substrates, such as a thin film of Al₂ O₃ and mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticle layer, by using a simple dip-by-dip method. Arrays of up to 33 layers were built on Al₂ O₃ . In the case of mesoporous TiO₂ , the interstitial volume between the particles was filled up with dye assemblies. Deposition could produce either layers of microcrystals or molecular layers if an appropriate washing procedure was used. The resultant arrays were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, and UV/Vis absorption.