Donor-acceptor (perylenethienyl)ethylenes as singlet oxygen-photogenerating viral inhibitors.

The development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs effective against a wide variety of viruses is of significant practical importance. Derivatives of perylene, a pentacyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, demonstrate pronounced antiviral activity. These compounds primarily act as membrane-active singlet oxygen photogenerators, disrupting virions and inhibiting their fusion with a host cell membrane.