Confirmed by X-ray crystallography: the B⋅B one-electron σ bond

Preparation, Properties, and Structures of the Radical Anions and Dianions of Azapentacenes

A series of diazapentacenes (5,14-diethynyldibenzo[b,i]phenazine, 6,13-diethynylnaphtho[2,3-b]phenazine) and tetraazapentacenes (7,12-diethynylbenzo[g]quinoxalino[2,3-b]quinoxaline, 6,13-diethynylquinoxalino[2,3-b]phenazine) were reduced to their radical anions and dianions, employing either potassium anthracenide or lithium naphthalenide in THF. The anionic species formed were investigated by UV-vis-NIR, fluorescence and EPR spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, and quantum chemical calculations. Single crystal X-ray structures of three of their radical anions and of three of their dianions were obtained. In contrast to the acenes, the anions of the azapentacenes are persistent and, in some cases, even moderately stable toward air, and were characterized.

Crystalline boron-linked tetraaminoethylene radical cations

Boron-linked tetraaminoethylene radical cations has been isolated.

Single-electron oxidation of neutral boryl-linked tetraaminoethylene derivatives 4 led to the formation of radical cations 4˙⁺, which have been isolated and fully characterized. X-ray diffraction analysis, EPR spectroscopy, and computational studies revealed that the unpaired electron is delocalized over the B₂N₄C₂ skeleton and the spin density mainly resides on the carbon and boron atoms.

Facile Route to Quadruply Annulated Borepins

A two-step synthesis sequence furnishes quadruply annulated borepins in high yields. The first step involves a nucleophilic substitution reaction between aryl-BF₃K salts (aryl = mesityl, phenyl) and lithiated bromonapthalene derivatives LiNaph^Br,R (HNaph^Br,R = 8-bromonaphthalene (a), 5-bromoacenaphthene (b), 5-bromoacenaphthylene (c)). In the second step, the resulting heteroleptic triarylboranes aryl-B(Naph^Br,R)₂ (3a-c) are subjected to an intramolecular Ni-mediated Yamamoto reaction to close the seven-membered rings and create the borepins 4a-c. Only in the case of 3b is the Yamamoto reaction accompanied by a C-H activation reaction furnishing the 7-hydro-7-borabenzo[de]anthracene derivative 5. The product ratio 4b/5 can be influenced by control of the local Ni(0) concentration. The borepins 4a-c are benchtop stable and highly soluble even in hexane. Compounds 4a-c undergo reversible one-electron reduction; 4c is also able to accept a second electron in a reversible manner and already at moderate potential values (E_1/2 = -1.49 V and -1.84 V (vs FcH/FcH⁺)). 4a, 4b, and 5 show photoluminescence in the blue-green region of the spectrum, while 4c is nonfluorescent, which is likely attributable to an intramolecular charge-transfer transition.

Recent developments in and perspectives on three-coordinate boron materials: a bright future

The empty p z -orbital of a three-coordinate organoboron compound leads to its electron-deficient properties, which make it an excellent π-acceptor in conjugated organic chromophores. The empty p-orbital in such Lewis acids can be attacked by nucleophiles, so bulky groups are often employed to provide air-stable materials. However, many of these can still bind fluoride and cyanide anions leading to applications as anion-selective sensors. One electron reduction generates radical anions. The π-acceptor strength can be easily tuned by varying the organic substituents. Many of these compounds show strong two-photon absorption (TPA) and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) behaviour, which can be applied for e.g. biological imaging. Furthermore, these chromophores can be used as emitters and electron transporters in OLEDs, and examples have recently been found to exhibit efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). The three-coordinate organoboron unit can also be incorporated into polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Such boron-doped compounds exhibit very interesting properties, distinct from their all-carbon analogues. Significant developments have been made in all of these areas in recent years and new applications are rapidly emerging for this class of boron compounds.

Consecutive reduction, radical-cyclization, and oxidative-dehydrogenation reaction of ortho-substituted diboryl compounds

An elegant synthetic route to a ladder-type di-borate compound 2a was reported based on the reduction, radical-cyclization, and oxidative-dehydrogenation reaction of 1.

Diboron(4) Compounds: From Structural Curiosity to Synthetic Workhorse

Although known for over 90 years, only in the past two decades has the chemistry of diboron(4) compounds been extensively explored. Many interesting structural features and reaction patterns have emerged, and more importantly, these compounds now feature prominently in both metal-catalyzed and metal-free methodologies for the formation of B-C bonds and other processes.

On the existence of intramolecular one-electron Be–Be bonds

The electron attachment to 1,8-diBeX-naphthalene derivatives leads to rather stable radical anions through the formation of one-electron Be–Be bonds.

A boron-centered radical: a potassium-crown ether stabilized boryl radical anion

A boron radical contact ion-pair has been isolated, an intermediate stage between free radical anions and neutral radicals of boron.

Boron-doped nanographene: Lewis acidity, redox properties, and battery electrode performance

The impact of boron doping on the nature of nanographene was investigated at the molecular level in terms of chemical adsorption with various Lewis bases, spin multiplicity of the two electron-reduced species, and performance as a battery electrode.

The preparation of boron-doped nanocarbon scaffolds with well-defined structures is important for the understanding of the impact of boron doping on their properties and behavior at the molecular level. We recently succeeded in the synthesis of a structurally well-defined nanographene molecule, bearing two boron atoms at the central positions. In this study, the characteristic properties and functions of this boron-doped nanographene were investigated in terms of (1) Lewis acidity, (2) redox properties, and (3) electrode performance in a battery. This boron-doped nanographene was susceptible to chemical adsorption with various Lewis bases, resulting in significant changes in the absorption and fluorescence properties, as well as in the conformation of the honeycomb framework. The two-electron reduction of this boron-doped nanographene produced a dianionic species that showed a substantial biradical character with a triplet ground state. A Li battery electrode, composed of a boron-doped nanographene with small peripheral substituents, displayed a stable performance in the 1.5–4.0 V range with a first discharge capacity of 160 mA h g^–1. These results provide important insights into the effect of boron doping on nanocarbon compounds.

Taming the beast: fluoromesityl groups induce a dramatic stability enhancement in boroles

Boroles with a fluoromesityl group on the B atom have greatly improved air stability compared to their mesityl analogues.

The electron-deficient pentaarylborole 1-(2′,4′,6′-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetraphenylborole (1) has been synthesised with the long-term aim of developing borole-based optoelectronic materials. The bulky 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (FMes) group on the boron atom of 1 significantly improves (>600 times) its air stability relative to its mesityl analogue. Moreover, 1 shows good thermal stability without undergoing the dimerisation or isomerisation reactions reported for some other boroles. A triarylborole analogue (2), belonging to a new class of borole with the 3- and 4-positions of the BC₄ ring linked by a –(CH₂)₃– group, has also been synthesised to elucidate the influence of carbon-bonded substituents on the stability of boroles. Both boroles were prepared through the reaction of Li[FMesBF₃] and divinyldilithium reagents, a new and general method for borole syntheses. Compound 2 was found to isomerise through a [1,3]-H shift and double-bond rearrangement to an s-trans-butadienylborane species under highly basic (NaOH) conditions. The increased steric crowding at the boron centre through incorporation of the FMes group does not preclude binding of Lewis bases to either 1 or 2, as demonstrated by their fully reversible binding of pyridine. Interestingly, 1 exhibits a blue-shifted absorption spectrum, as compared with its mesityl analogue, a result contrary to previous understanding of the influence of substituent electronics on the absorption spectra of boroles. Most importantly, these boroles exhibit much greater air-stability than previously reported analogues without sacrificing the strong electron-accepting ability that makes boroles so attractive; indeed, 1 and 2 have very low reduction potentials of –1.52 and –1.69 eV vs. Fc/Fc⁺, respectively.

A preorganized ditopic borane as highly efficient one- or two-electron trap

Reduction of the bis(9-borafluorenyl)methane 1 with excess lithium furnishes the red dianion salt Li2[1]. The corresponding dark green monoanion radical Li[1] is accessible through the comproportionation reaction between 1 and Li2[1]. EPR spectroscopy on Li[1] reveals hyperfine coupling of the unpaired electron to two magnetically equivalent boron nuclei (a((11)B) = 5.1 ± 0.1 G, a((10)B) = 1.7 ± 0.2 G). Further coupling is observed to the unique B-CH-B bridgehead proton (a((1)H) = 7.2 ± 0.2 G) and to eight aromatic protons (a((1)H) = 1.4 ± 0.1 G). According to X-ray crystallography, the B···B distances continuously decrease along the sequence 1 → [1](•-) → [1](2-) with values of 2.534(2), 2.166(4), and 1.906(3) Å, respectively. Protonation of Li2[1] leads to the cyclic borohydride species Li[1H] featuring a B-H-B two-electron-three-center bond. This result strongly indicates a nucleophilic character of the boron atoms; the reaction can also be viewed as rare example of the protonation of an element-element σ bond. According to NMR spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical calculations, [1](2-) represents a closed-shell singlet without any spin contamination. Detailed wave function analyses of [1](•-) and [1](2-) reveal strongly localized interactions of the two boron pz-type orbitals, with small delocalized contributions of the 9-borafluorenyl π systems. Overall, our results provide evidence for a direct B-B one-electron and two-electron bonding interaction in [1](•-) and [1](2-), respectively.

Lowering the reduction potential of a boron compound by means of the substituent effect of the boryl group: one-electron reduction of an unsymmetrical diborane(4)

We have clarified and observed the high electron affinity of pinB-BMes2 (1; Mes = mesityl, pin = pinacolato). By using electrochemistry, it was shown that 1 has a higher electron affinity than those of B2pin2 and Mes3B. One-electron reduction of 1 gave the corresponding radical anion. The ESR spectroscopy and DFT calculation revealed the unsymmetrical distribution of electron density over the B-B bond. UV/Vis spectroscopy showed that the SOMO-related absorption supports the deep purple color of the radical anion. DFT studies on the torsion angle dependency of the LUMO levels and relative energies revealed the reason why 1 has high electron affinity as a result of the substituent effect of the Bpin group.

Ring expansion reactions of pentaphenylborole with dipolar molecules as a route to seven-membered boron heterocycles

Reactions of pentaphenylborole with isocyanates, benzophenone, and benzaldehyde produced new seven-membered heterocycles in high yields. For 1-adamantyl isocyanate, a BNC5 heterocycle was obtained from the insertion of the C-N moiety into the five-membered borole, whereas for 4-methoxyphenyl isocyanate, a BOC5 heterocycle was generated from the insertion of the C-O unit. These reactions are believed to occur via a mechanism wherein coordination of the nucleophile to the borole (1-adamantyl, N-coordination or O-coordination for 4-methoxyphenyl) is followed by ring expansion to afford the observed seven-membered heterocycles. The selectivity to form B-O- or B-N-containing heterocycles is based on the polarization of the isocyanate implying tunable reactivity for the system. Having observed that isocyanates react as 1,2-dipoles with pentaphenylborole, we examined benzophenone and benzaldehyde, which both reacted to insert C-O units into the ring. This represents a new efficient method for preparing rare seven-membered boracycles.