Synthesis of novel perylenes for potential applications in organic solar cells; and vector alignment, a hypothesis for designing intensely colored organic compounds

This work consists of two parts that are both relevant to research on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The first part is a discussion of work directed towards the synthesis of 3,9-disubstituted perylenes, based on a novel Tandem Friedel-Crafts Annulation (TFCA) reaction. This laid the groundwork for the production of substituted perylenes that will absorb a substantial portion of the solar spectrum and thus be useful as dyes in DSSCs. The second part is a discussion of the hypothesis of vector alignment, which should allow for the rational design of intensely colored conjugated molecules by providing a straight path for the pi electrons across the entire molecule.