Hydrogen gas sensor based upon perylene-imide derivatives

Perylene-imide derivatives are industrially important pigments that exhibit a variety of shades from red via maroon to black. In the present investigation, we have synthesized novel perylene-imide derivatives with pyridyl rings in an attempt to apply them for H2 gas sensors based upon proton acceptors. The two N atoms of the pyridyl rings which work as proton acceptors are found to remain unbonded in the solid state according to X-ray analysis and are thus available for protonation necessary for H2 gas sensors. The H2 gas sensors exhibit a significant change in electrical resistivity by about three orders of magnitude even under 0.01 % H2.