Toward pi-conjugated molecule bundles: synthesis of a series of B,B',B''-trianthryl-N,N',N''-triarylborazines and the bundle effects on their properties

Selective dehydrogenation of ammonia borane to borazine and derivatives by rhodium olefin complexes

This report presents a selective synthetic approach towards borazine from ammonia borane using a dinuclear rhodium olefin homogeneous catalyst. The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a dirhodium ammonia borane complex as an intermediate provides insight into a possible mode of activation.

Synthesis, Structures, and Photophysical Properties of Zigzag BNBNB-Embedded Anthracene-Fused Fluoranthene

Three zigzag BNBNB-embedded anthracene-fused fluoranthenes are synthesized from 1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles through an indole-type N-directed C-H borylation reaction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses confirm the double bond character of all four alternating B-N bonds and reveal the five-center four-π-electron nature of the BNBNB group. Experimental spectra and density functional theory calculations indicate that borylation remarkably enhances the planarity, extends π-conjugation, and leads to a bathochromic shift in the absorption and emission bands, with remarkable fluorescence quantum yields in solution (92%).

Boron Nitride-Doped Polyphenylenic Organogels

Herein, we describe the synthesis of the first boron nitride-doped polyphenylenic material obtained through a [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction between a triethynyl borazine unit and a biscyclopentadienone derivative, which undergoes organogel formation in chlorinated solvents (the critical jellification concentration is 4% w/w in CHCl₃). The polymer has been characterized extensively by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state ¹³C NMR, solid-state ¹¹B NMR, and by comparison with the isolated monomeric unit. Furthermore, the polymer gels formed in chlorinated solvents have been thoroughly characterized and studied, showing rheological properties comparable to those of polyacrylamide gels with a low crosslinker percentage. Given the thermal and chemical stability, the material was studied as a potential support for solid-state electrolytes. showing properties comparable to those of polyethylene glycol-based electrolytes, thus presenting great potential for the application of this new class of material in lithium-ion batteries.

Synthesis and Reactions of Borazines

Given the wide array of current applications of borazine-based materials, synthetic access to these compounds is of importance. This review summarizes the many ways of preparing borazines and its carbo-substituted analogues. In addition, the functionalization of borazines is covered. The synthesis of molecules incorporating more than one borazine units as well as aspects of unsymmetrically substituted borazines are not included. The literature has been covered comprehensively until the end of 2020.

1 Introduction: Structure and Properties of Borazine

2 Synthesis of Parent Borazine

3 Synthesis of N-Substituted Borazines

4 Synthesis of B-Halo/B-Halo-N-Substituted Borazines

5 Synthesis of B-Substituted Borazines

6 Synthesis of Polycyclic Borazines Containing One Borazine Ring

7 Modifications or Hydrolysis of the Borazine Ring

8 Borazine Metal Complexes

9 Outlook and Conclusion

Oligotriarylamine-Extended Organoboranes with Tunable Electron-Donating Strength by Changing the Number of Donor Units

Triarylborane (Ar₃B) and triarylamine (Ar₃N) have been widely employed to construct electronically different donor-acceptor (D-A) systems. Herein, we describe a series of A-D-A-type luminescent organoboranes L-B₂N_n (n = 1, 3, 5) that show an increased number of Ar₃N units as electron donors and two terminal Ar₃B as acceptors. When the Ar₃N moieties were extended from one to five units, their electron-donating strength was gradually enhanced and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gaps could also be tuned, which was further reflected in the red-shifted emissions from blue (λ_em = 458 nm) to orange (λ_em = 595 nm) with a decrease in E_gap(elect) from 3.19 to 2.61 eV. L-B₂N₅ showed a huge Stokes shift (∼14 057 cm^-1) and a considerably bright emission with an enhanced solid-state quantum efficiency (Φ_S = 98%) compared with the other members. L-B₂N₃ and L-B₂N₅ exhibited aggregation-induced emissions (AIEs), and an apparent solvatochromic shift was also observed in the emission spectra as the solvent was changed from hexane to tetrahydrofuran (THF) (430 → 595 nm). In addition, the donor-acceptor charge-transfer character in these organoboranes caused a thermally responsive emission over a broad range.

Synthesis and Structure of an o-Carboranyl-Substituted Three-Coordinate Borane Radical Anion

Bis(1-(4-tolyl)-carboran-2-yl)-(4-tolyl)-borane [(1-(4-MeC6 H4 )-closo-1,2-C2 B10 H10 -2-)2 (4-MeC6 H4 )B] (1), a new bis(o-carboranyl)-(R)-borane was synthesised by lithiation of the o-carboranyl precursor and subsequent salt metathesis reaction with (4-tolyl)BBr2 . Cyclic voltammetry experiments on 1 show multiple distinct reduction events with a one-electron first reduction. In a selective reduction experiment the corresponding paramagnetic radical anion 1.- was isolated and characterized. Single-crystal structure analyses allow an in-depth comparison of 1, 1.- , their calculated geometries, and the S1 excited state of 1. Photophysical studies of 1 show a charge transfer (CT) emission with low quantum yield in solution but a strong increase in the solid state. TD-DFT calculations were used to identify transition-relevant orbitals.

Design, Synthesis, and Temperature-Driven Molecular Conformation-Dependent Delayed Fluorescence Characteristics of Dianthrylboron-Based Donor-Acceptor Systems

We report a simple and novel molecular design strategy to enhance rISC in boron-based donor-acceptor systems to achieve improved delayed fluorescence characteristics. Dianthrylboryl ((An)₂B)-based aryl aminoboranes 1 (donor: phenothiazine) and 2 (donor: N,N-diphenylamine) were synthesized by a simple one-pot procedure. The energy of the electronic excited states in 1 and 2 were modulated by varying the arylamine donor strength and electronic coupling between D and A moieties. The presence of a large π-system (anthryl moiety) on boron enhances the electronic communication between donor arylamine and acceptor boryl moieties, and hence, both 1 and 2 exhibit delayed fluorescence characteristics in a broad range of temperatures (80-300 K). Single crystal X-ray analysis and temperature-dependent photophysical studies together with theoretical studies were carried out to rationalize the observed intriguing optical signatures of 1 and 2.

An Iterative Divergent Approach to Conjugated Starburst Borane Dendrimers

Using a new divergent approach, conjugated triarylborane dendrimers were synthesized up to the 2nd generation. The synthetic strategy consists of three steps: 1) functionalization, via iridium catalyzed C-H borylation; 2) activation, via fluorination of the generated boronate ester with K[HF2 ] or [N(nBu4 )][HF2 ]; and 3) expansion, via reaction of the trifluoroborate salts with aryl Grignard reagents. The concept was also shown to be viable for a convergent approach. All but one of the conjugated borane dendrimers exhibit multiple, distinct and reversible reduction potentials, making them potentially interesting materials for applications in molecular accumulators. Based on their photophysical properties, the 1st generation dendrimers exhibit good conjugation over the whole system. However, the conjugation does not increase further upon expansion to the 2nd generation, but the molar extinction coefficients increase linearly with the number of triarylborane subunits, suggesting a potential application as photonic antennas.

Highly Stable, Readily Reducible, Fluorescent, Trifluoromethylated 9-Borafluorenes

Three different perfluoroalkylated borafluorenes (F Bf) were prepared and their electronic and photophysical properties were investigated. The systems have four trifluoromethyl moieties on the borafluorene moiety as well as two trifluoromethyl groups at the ortho positions of their exo-aryl moieties. They differ with regard to the para substituents on their exo-aryl moieties, being a proton (F XylF Bf, F Xyl: 2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl), a trifluoromethyl group (F MesF Bf, F Mes: 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) or a dimethylamino group (p-NMe2 -F XylF Bf, p-NMe2 -F Xyl: 4-(dimethylamino)-2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl), respectively. All derivatives exhibit extraordinarily low reduction potentials, comparable to those of perylenediimides. The most electron-deficient derivative F MesF Bf was also chemically reduced and its radical anion isolated and characterized. Furthermore, all compounds exhibit very long fluorescent lifetimes of about 250 ns up to 1.6 μs; however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this differ. The donor-substituted derivative p-NMe2 -F XylF Bf exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) from a charge-transfer (CT) state, whereas the F MesF Bf and F XylF Bf borafluorenes exhibit only weakly allowed locally excited (LE) transitions due to their symmetry and low transition-dipole moments.

Electronically Driven Regioselective Iridium-Catalyzed C-H Borylation of Donor-π-Acceptor Chromophores Containing Triarylboron Acceptors

We observed a surprisingly high electronically driven regioselectivity for the iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) systems with diphenylamino (1) or carbazolyl (2) moieties as the donor, bis(2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)boryl (B(F Xyl)2 ) as the acceptor, and 1,4-phenylene as the π-bridge. Under our conditions, borylation was observed only at the sterically least encumbered para-positions of the acceptor group. As boronate esters are versatile building blocks for organic synthesis (C-C coupling, functional group transformations) the C-H borylation represents a simple potential method for post-functionalization by which electronic or other properties of D-π-A systems can be fine-tuned for specific applications. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the borylated (1-(Bpin)2 ) and unborylated (1) diphenylamino-substituted D-π-A systems were investigated. Interestingly, the borylated derivative exhibits coordination of THF to the boronate ester moieties, influencing the photophysical properties and exemplifying the non-innocence of boronate esters.

Computationally Guided Molecular Design to Minimize the LE/CT Gap in D-π-A Fluorinated Triarylboranes for Efficient TADF via D and π-Bridge Tuning

In this combined experimental and theoretical study, a computational protocol is reported to predict the excited states in D-π-A compounds containing the B(FXyl)2 (FXyl = 2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) acceptor group for the design of new thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters. To this end, the effect of different donor and π-bridge moieties on the energy gaps between local and charge-transfer singlet and triplet states is examined. To prove this computationally aided design concept, the D-π-B(FXyl)2 compounds 1-5 were synthesized and fully characterized. The photophysical properties of these compounds in various solvents, polymeric film, and in a frozen matrix were investigated in detail and show excellent agreement with the computationally obtained data. Furthermore, a simple structure-property relationship is presented on the basis of the molecular fragment orbitals of the donor and the π-bridge, which minimize the relevant singlet-triplet gaps to achieve efficient TADF emitters.

Structural Properties of Highly Doped Borazino Polyphenylenes Obtained through Condensation Reaction

Here we describe the synthesis and spectroscopic and structural characterization of various borazine-doped polyphenylenes displaying high doping dosages (16-18%). Capitalizing on the condensation reaction approach, the desired products were formed using a mixture of p-phenylendiamine and aniline with BCl₃, followed by the addition of an aryl lithium derivative. The use of mesityl lithium (MesLi) yields strained multiborazine derivatives, which proved to be unstable in the presence of moisture. However, when xylyl lithium (XylLi) was used, chemically stable multiborazines were obtained, with oligomers showing molecular weight up to 10⁴, corresponding to 16-18 monomer units. While the dimer, trimer, and tetramer could be isolated as pure products and their structure characterized by mass and NMR analysis, higher oligomers could only be isolated as mixtures of B-hydroxy-substituted derivatives and characterized by gel permeation chromatography. The structures of the dimer and trimer derivatives were confirmed by X-ray analysis, which nicely showed the presence of the two and three borazine rings spaced by one and two 1,4-aryl bridges, respectively. Notably, the trimer forms a porous crystalline clathrate. The peripheral xylyl and phenyl moieties of each molecule intramolecularly embrace each other through C-H and π-π stacking interactions. Steady-state UV-vis absorption characterization suggested that the molecules are UV absorbers, with the extinction coefficient linearly scaling with the degree of oligomerization. On the other hand, low-emission quantum yields were obtained for all derivatives (<7%), suggesting that high BN-doping dosages dramatically affect the emission properties of the doped polyphenylenes.

Thermal dehydrochlorination in the 4-fluoroaniline-trichloroborane system: identification of reactive intermediates involved in the formation of B,B',B''-trichloro-N,N',N''-tri((4-fluoro)phenyl)borazine

Borazines are used in chemical vapor deposition processes to produce hybrid graphene-boron nitride nanostructures. As the knowledge on the mechanism of borazine formation is scarce, we studied the mechanism of formation of B,B',B''-trichloro-N,N',N''-tri(p-fluorophenyl)borazine (3a) from p-fluoroaniline and boron trichloride employing NMR spectroscopy, X-ray single crystal structure analysis, trapping experiments, and computational chemistry methods up to the coupled cluster CCSD(T) level of theory. These studies suggest the initial formation of the 1 : 1 adduct 1a (ArNH₂BCl₃, Ar = 4-fluorophenyl) with a dative B-N bond that could be fully characterized including single crystal X-ray diffraction. Adduct 1a undergoes unimolecular hydrogen chloride elimination with a first-order rate constant of k₁ = 3.03(7) × 10^-2 min^-1 in toluene at 100 °C. This rate constant is in very good agreement with the one derived (k₁ = 3.18 × 10^-2 min^-1) from computed activation parameters (ΔH^‡_373.15 = 28.1 kcal mol^-1, ΔS^‡_373.15 = 1.56 eu, ΔG^‡_373.15 = 27.6 kcal mol^-1). The product of the first hydrogen chloride evolution is anilinodichloroborane ArNHBCl₂ (2a). Compound 2a cannot be isolated in a pure form due to instability, but its presence as a transient reactive intermediate can be derived from NMR spectroscopy. Reactive intermediates other than anilinodichloroborane cannot be assigned by NMR spectroscopy. We propose that the mechanism of formation of borazine 3a involves the reaction of 2a with 4-fluoroaniline as the rate determining step.

Catalyst free boron carbon bond cleavage and facile formation of five-membered PNBCC heterocycles

The [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of phosphanyl aminoborane [N(2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃)(PPh₂)(BCy₂)] (1) with activated alkynes led to boron and phosphorus containing five-membered heterocycles [(2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃)NPPh₂(CO₂R)C-C(Cy)(CO₂R)(BCy)] [R = Me (2), Et (3) and H (4)] with facile cleavage of the B-C bond and concomitant formation of a P-C bond with an ylidic character. DFT calculations indicate that 1 can be considered as a non-conjugated 1,3-dipole having two reaction centers viz., a nucleophilic P-center and an electrophilic B-center. The reaction of 1 with the alkynes proceeds through a stepwise dipolar addition mechanism, followed by the migration of the cyclohexyl group from the B-atom to the adjacent C-atom.

Borazine-based inorganic–organic hybrid cyclomatrix microspheres by silicon/boron exchange precipitation polycondensation

Borazine-based inorganic–organic hybrid cyclomatrix microspheres with a mean diameter of about 900 nm have been obtained via a novel silicon/boron exchange precipitation polycondensation approach.

Boron-nitrogen doped carbon scaffolding: organic chemistry, self-assembly and materials applications of borazine and its derivatives

Discovered by Stock and Pohland in 1926, borazine is the isoelectronic and isostructural inorganic analogue of benzene, where the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds are substituted by B-N bonds. The strong polarity of such heteroatomic bonds widens the HOMO-LUMO gap of the molecule, imparting strong UV-emitting/absorption and electrical insulating properties. These properties make borazine and its derivatives valuable molecular scaffolds to be inserted as doping units in graphitic-based carbon materials to tailor their optoelectronic characteristics, and specifically their semiconducting properties. By guiding the reader through the most significant examples in the field, in this feature paper we describe the past and recent developments in the organic synthesis and functionalisation of borazine and its derivatives. These boosted the production of a large variety of tailored derivatives, broadening their use in optoelectronics, H2 storage and supramolecular functional architectures, to name a few.

D-π-A triarylboron compounds with tunable push-pull character achieved by modification of both the donor and acceptor moieties

The push-pull character of a series of donor-bithienyl-acceptor compounds has been tuned by adopting triphenylamine or 1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidine as a donor and B(2,6-Me2 -4-RC6 H2)2 (R=Me, C6 F5 or 3,5-(CF3)2 C6 H3) or B[2,4,6-(CF3 )3 C6 H2]2 as an acceptor. Ir-catalyzed C-H borylation was utilized in the derivatization of the boryl acceptors and the tetramethyljulolidine donor. The donor and acceptor strengths were evaluated by electrochemical and photophysical measurements. In solution, the compound with the strongest acceptor, B[2,4,6-(CF3)3 C6 H2]2 ((FMes)2 B), has strongly quenched emission, while all other compounds show efficient green to red (ΦF =0.80-1.00) or near-IR (NIR; ΦF =0.27-0.48) emission, depending on solvent. Notably, this study presents the first examples of efficient NIR emission from three-coordinate boron compounds. Efficient solid-state red emission was observed for some derivatives, and interesting aggregation-induced emission of the (FMes)2 B-containing compound was studied. Moreover, each compound showed a strong and clearly visible response to fluoride addition, with either a large emission-color change or turn-on fluorescence.

Optical and electronic properties of air-stable organoboron compounds with strongly electron-accepting bis(fluoromesityl)boryl groups

R–Ph–B(FMes)₂ compounds exhibit low reduction potentials, bright emission, a TICT state and unusual long-lived phosphorescence at low temperature.

Three compounds with phenyl (1), 4-tert-butylphenyl (2) and 4-N,N-diphenylaminophenyl (3) groups attached to bis(fluoromesityl)boryl ((FMes)₂B) through B–C bonds have been prepared. The restricted rotation about the B–C bonds of boron-bonded aryl rings in solution has been studied by variable-temperature ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy, and through-space F–F coupling has been observed for 3 at low temperature. Steric congestion inhibits binding of 1 by Lewis bases DABCO and tBu₃P and the activation of H₂ in their presence. Photophysical and electrochemical studies have been carried out on 2, 3, and an analogue of 3 containing a bis(mesityl)boryl ((Mes)₂B) group, namely 4. Both 2 and 3 show bright emission in nonpolar solvents and in the solid-state, very strong electron-accepting ability as measured by cyclic voltammetry, and good air-stability. In addition, 2 displayed unusually long-lived emission (τ = 2.47 s) in 2-MeTHF at 77 K. The much stronger acceptor strength of (FMes)₂B than (Mes)₂B leads to significantly red-shifted emission in solution and the solid state, stronger emission solvatochromism, and significantly lower reduction potentials. Theoretical calculations confirm that 2 and 3 tend to form highly twisted excited states with good conjugation between one FMes group and the boron atom, which correlate well with their blue-shifted solid-state emissions and low k_r values in solution.

Self-assembly of decoupled borazines on metal surfaces: the role of the peripheral groups

Two borazine derivatives have been synthesised to investigate their self-assembly behaviour on Au(111) and Cu(111) surfaces by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and theoretical simulations. Both borazines form extended 2D networks upon adsorption on both substrates at room temperature. Whereas the more compact triphenyl borazine 1 arranges into close-packed ordered molecular islands with an extremely low density of defects on both substrates, the tris(phenyl-4-phenylethynyl) derivative 2 assembles into porous molecular networks due to its longer lateral substituents. For both species, the steric hindrance between the phenyl and mesityl substituents results in an effective decoupling of the central borazine core from the surface. For borazine 1, this is enough to weaken the molecule-substrate interaction, so that the assemblies are only driven by attractive van der Waals intermolecular forces. For the longer and more flexible borazine 2, a stronger molecule-substrate interaction becomes possible through its peripheral substituents on the more reactive copper surface.

Accessing molecularly complex azaborines: palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings of brominated 2,1-borazaronaphthalenes and potassium organotrifluoroborates

Despite their potential applications in both medicinal chemistry and materials science, there have been limited reports on the functionalization of 2,1-borazaronaphthalenes since their discovery in 1959. To access new chemical space and build molecular complexity, the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of brominated 2,1-borazaronaphthalenes has been investigated. The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling proceeds with an array of potassium (hetero)aryltrifluoroborates in high yield with low catalyst loadings under mild reaction conditions. By the use of a high-yielding bromination of various 2,1-borazaronaphthalenes to generate electrophilic azaborine species, a library of 3-(hetero)aryl and 3,6-diaryl-2,1-borazaronaphthalenes has been synthesized.

Photoionization and pyrolysis of a 1,4-azaborinine: retro-hydroboration in the cation and identification of novel organoboron ring systems

The photoionization and dissociative photoionization of 1,4-di-tert-butyl-1,4-azaborinine by means of synchrotron radiation and threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy is reported. The ionization energy of the compound was determined to be 7.89 eV. Several low-lying electronically excited states in the cation were identified. The various pathways for dissociative photoionization were modeled by statistical theory, and appearance energies AE0K were obtained. The loss of isobutene in a retro-hydroboration reaction is the dominant pathway, which proceeds with a reverse barrier. Pyrolysis of the parent compound in a chemical reactor leads to the generation of several yet unobserved boron compounds. The ionization energies of the C4 H6 BN isomers 1,2- and 1,4-dihydro-1,4-azaborinine and the C3 H6 BN isomer 1,2-dihydro-1,3-azaborole were determined from threshold photoelectron spectra.

Antiaromaticity to aromaticity: from boroles to 1,2-azaborinines by ring expansion with azides

We have exploited the reactivity of antiaromatic boroles, gaining access to aryl-substituted monocyclic 1,2-azaborinines. The observed ring-expansion reaction of inherently electron-deficient boroles with organometallic and organic azides is demonstrated for representative examples. This substance class is expected to provide a new avenue into 1,2-azaborinine chemistry, especially in the area of functional organoboron materials. Our results are based on NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy as well as single-crystal X-ray crystallography and provide a virtually quantitative approach that also offers numerous points of variation.

Polymorphism, fluorescence, and optoelectronic properties of a borazine derivative

We have prepared a new borazine derivative that bears mesityl substituents at the boron centers and displays exceptional chemical stability. Detailed crystallographic and solid-state fluorescence characterizations revealed the existence of several polymorphs, each of which showed different emission profiles. In particular, a bathochromic shift is observed when going from the lower- to the higher-density crystal. Computational investigations of the conformational dynamics of borazine 1 in both the gas phase and in the solid state using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the conformation of the peripheral aryl groups significantly varies when going from an isolated molecule (in which the rings are able to flip over the 90° barrier at RT) to the crystals (in which the rotation is locked by packing effects), thus generating specific nonsymmetric intermolecular interactions in the different polymorphs. To investigate the optoelectronic properties of these materials by fabrication and characterization of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), borazine 1 was incorporated as the active material in the emissive layer. The current and radiance versus voltage characteristics, as well as the electroluminescence spectra reported here for the first time are encouraging prospects for the engineering of future borazine-based devices.

Star-Shaped Conjugated Systems

The present review deals with the preparation and the properties of star-shaped conjugated compounds. Three, four or six conjugated arms are attached to cross-conjugated cores, which consist of single atoms (B, C⁺, N), benzene or azine rings or polycyclic ring systems, as for example triphenylene or tristriazolotriazine. Many of these shape-persistent [n]star compounds tend to π-stacking and self-organization, and exhibit interesting properties in materials science: Linear and non-linear optics, electrical conductivity, electroluminescence, formation of liquid crystalline phases, etc.

Putting group 13 elements onto perylenes: highly fluorescent N-B-N- and N-Al-N-substituted polycyclic aromatics

Metalation of 3,4,9,10-tetraaminoperylene with boron and aluminum complex fragments has given rise to a new class of highly fluorescent N-B-N- and N-Al-N-substituted dyes with fluorescence quantum yields of up to 82%.