Synthetic Access to Benzimidacarbocyanine Dyes to Tailor Their Aggregation Properties.

Developing structure-aggregation relationships of cyanine dyes is crucial for controlling their optical properties for various uses. This study develops a synthetic route and the structure-dependent self-assembly of a family of benzimidacarbocyanine dyes for J- or H-aggregation properties. It was found that both the presence and placement of halogen atoms play a defining role in the resulting supramolecular interactions of these compounds.