Accessing Boron-Doped Pentaphene Analogues from 12-Boradibenzofluorene

Carborane-arene fused boracyclic analogues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accessed by intramolecular borylation

Arenes are 2D aromatics while dicarbadodecaborane clusters are branded as 3D aromatic molecules. In this work we prepare molecules that feature fused 2D/3D aromatic systems that represent boron-doped analogues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The electron withdrawing nature of the ortho-carborane substituent enables swift arene borylation on boron bromide or hydride precursors to furnish five- and six-membered boracycles in conjugation with the arene. The mechanism was modeled by DFT computations implying a concerted transition state and analyzing the photophysical properties revealed high quantum yields in the six-membered systems.

Unlocking Heteroaromatic Ring Systems through Chalcogen Insertion into Boroles

In this work, we report the reactivity of various annulated borole derivatives toward chalcogen (O, S, and Se) insertion. Among a series of 9-borafluorenes with different boron substituents (Ph, Br, or o-carboranyl) and a mixed thiophene-benzene-fused derivative, only the 9-o-carboranyl-substituted 9-borafluorene yielded the complete set of chalcogen-containing heteroarenes, including the first 1,2-selenaborinine derivative. To evaluate the aromaticity of this heterocyclic analogue of phenanthrene, nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) values were computed and compared to those of its lighter group 16 congeners.

The Effect of Carborane Substituents on the Lewis Acidity of Boranes

The Lewis acidity of primary, secondary, and tertiary boranes with phenyl, pentafluorophenyl, and all three isomers of the C-substituted icosahedral carboranes (ortho, meta, and para) was investigated by computing their fluoride, hydride, and ammonia affinities as well as their global electrophilicity indices and LUMO energies. From these calculations, it was determined that the substituent effects on the Lewis acidity of these boranes follow the trend of ortho-carborane > meta-carborane > para-carborane > C6F5 > C6H5.

Bis(1-Methyl-ortho-Carboranyl)Borane

The Lewis superacid, bis(1-methyl-ortho-carboranyl)borane, is rapidly accessed in two steps. It is a very effective hydroboration reagent capable of B-H addition to alkenes, alkynes, and cyclopropanes. To date, this is the first identified Lewis superacidic secondary borane and most reactive neutral hydroboration reagent.

Probing borafluorene B-C bond insertion with gold acetylide and azide

The reaction of Ph₃PAuN₃ with 9-Ph-9-borafluorene resulted in complexation of the azide to boron while a gold acetylide reacted with 9-Ph-9-borafluorene to insert the acetylide carbon to access a six-membered boracycle with an exocyclic double bond.