This tutorial review surveys recent developments in the chemistry of naphthalene diimides (NDIs) and explores their application in the fields of material and supramolecular science. It begins with a discussion of their general uses, methods of syntheses and their electronic and spectroscopic properties. Of interest to their application in the fields of conducting thin films and molecular sensors is the structure-function relationships that exist either as co-components of supramolecular ensembles as in the case of "nanotubes", or as the sole components in molecular wires. Also discussed are advances in NDI research within the areas of energy and electron transfer (covalent and non-covalent systems) and in host-guest chemistry including foldamer, mechanically-interlocked and ligand-gated ion channel examples. Finally, we explore the developments in the recent field of core-substituted NDIs, their photophysical properties and applications in artificial photosynthesis. We conclude with our views on the prospects of NDIs for future research endeavours.