A synthetic methodology toward π-extended porphyrin-rylenediimide conjugates†

In this work, we present a straightforward synthetic route for the preparation of functionalized β-meso-fused porphyrins, which are subsequently connected to rylendiimides. The resulting donor–acceptor-type conjugates exhibit intriguing optical properties, such as panchromatism and profoundly bathochromically shifted absorption curves. A better understanding of the molecules' electronic structure was gained through density-functional theory calculations, which unveiled small HOMO–LUMO gaps.