The very special reactivity of the amino substituent in malononitrile dimer (1) has been used to develop a range of new dyes covering the full spectral range. Under the appropriate reaction conditions, the amino substituent in dyes derived from 1 can react with electrophiles, such as acyl halides, resulting in a large bathochromic shift. The amino group can thereby be transformed into a good leaving group suitable for nucleophilic substitution.
The very special reactivity of the amino substituent in malononitrile dimer (1) has been used to develop a range of new dyes covering the full spectral range. Under the appropriate reaction conditions, the amino substituent in dyes derived from 1 can react with electrophiles, such as acyl halides, resulting in a large bathochromic shift. The amino group can thereby be transformed into a good leaving group suitable for nucleophilic substitution.