Abstract: 5-N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-1,3-benzenediol(1a) and its analogs 1b～1g have been synthesized. By condensation of squaric acid with 1a～1g, a class of novel multiarm squaraines, namely-1,3-bis[4-N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-2,6-dihydroxyl phenyl] squaraine(2a) and its analogs(2b～2g) were obtained. The compounds were designed to improve the donor-acceptor-donor charge transfer(D-A-D CT) of squaraines. The spectra properties of the compounds have been discussed.

Key words: multiarm-squaraine, synthesis, spectral property