Use of Perylene Diimides in Synthetic Photochemistry

Perylene diimides (PDIs) are valuable organic chromophores that stand out for their outstanding optical and redox properties. Owing to these features, PDIs have emerged as prominent dyes capable of acting as photocatalysts for numerous relevant organic transformations. This Minireview highlights the recent advances in the application of PDIs in organic photocatalysis. The various mechanistic pathways of the photo-reduction reaction of aryl halides, recently proposed in independent studies, are discussed with an eye to unsolved challenges and forward-looking opportunities regarding the use of PDIs within this field.