Novel Dimethinmerocyanine Dyes Performing J-Aggregation in Highly Diluted SolutionA series of various novel long-chain alkyl-dimethinmerocyanine dyes containing sulfonate groups is obtained in high yield by modified condensation reactions of sulfoalkyl-or sulfophenylsubstituted methylene ketones. The dyes exhibit intense, red-shifted absorption bands (e up to 263000) due to J-aggregation in DMSO/H,O mixtures without addition of salt even at dye concentrations of 5 . IO-*M. The influence of dye structure and medium on the aggregation tendency is investigated. Besides it is found that exchange of the cationic counterions does not affect J-aggregation.