N′-bis(octyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic acid bisimide (PBI) was synthesized in high yield. The title compound is a key intermediate in the preparation of PBI aryl derivatives through Suzuki cross-coupling by using a large variety of easily accessible aryl halides. The benign effect of a nonpolar solvent, mild base, and high reaction temperature on the borylation reaction was studied, and the reaction conditions