Redox-Active Ferrocenylboronium Polyelectrolytes with Main Chain Charge-Transfer Structure

Oligomerization of an ansa-ferrocene with pyrazabole bridge

Ansa-ferrocenes with pyrazabole bridges are chemically robust entities and therefore suitable building blocks for the synthesis of rigid-rod polymers that combine redox-active Fe(II) centers and beltene-like  faces. The specific monomers we developed bear OEt groups at both tetracoordinated boron atoms (for solubility reasons) and ethynyl substituents at the 4-positions of the two pyrazole rings. Polymerization was accomplished by a condensation reaction with 1,4-diiodobenzene using a Sonogashira-Hagihara-type protocol. Thereby, oligomers with a number-average molecular weight of Mn = 7.6 kDa and dispersity of Ð = 1.55 were obtained, suggesting an average chain length of about 14 repeating units based on gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis in THF relative to narrow polystyrene standards. The molecular-weight determination was complemented by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and (heteronuclear) NMR spectroscopy to verify the intact pyrazabole monomer repeat units and the nature of the end-groups. The oligomers were further characterized by UV−vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, which demonstrated the successful synthesis of a new class of redox-active materials.

Recent Progress on Synthesis of N,N'-Chelate Organoboron Derivatives

N,N′-chelate organoboron compounds have been successfully applied in bioimaging, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), functional polymer, photocatalyst, electroluminescent (EL) devices, and other science and technology areas. However, the concise and efficient synthetic methods become more and more significant for material science, biomedical research, or other practical science. Here, we summarized the organoboron-N,N′-chelate derivatives and showed the different routes of their syntheses. Traditional methods to synthesize N,N′-chelate organoboron compounds were mainly using bidentate ligand containing nitrogen reacting with trivalent boron reagents. In this review, we described a series of bidentate ligands, such as bipyridine, 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indole, 2-(5-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)quinoline, N-(quinolin-8-yl)acetamide, 1,10-phenanthroline, and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP).

Effects of π-conjugation on the solid-state photoresponsive coloring behavior of bipyridine-boronium complexes

Solid-state photoinduced coloring of boronium complexes consisting of 9-borabicyclononane and 2,2'-bipyridine with π-conjugated substituents at the 4,4'- or 5,5'-positions was investigated. The substitution position affected the highest occupied molecular orbital distribution and determined the coloring capability. The 4,4'-substituted complexes exhibited coloration upon irradiation, whereas most of the 5,5'-substituted complexes did not.

Isolation of ligand-centered borocations in molybdenum complexes containing a triaminoborane-bridged diphosphorus ligand

Metal complexes that form isolable, ligand-centered borenium ions (i.e. reactive three-coordinate boron cations) are rare, especially with highly-versatile diphosphorus ligands. Here we report the first structurally-characterized examples of ligand-centered borocations in a class of diphosphorus ligands derived from the bicyclic triaminoborane 1,8,10,9-triazaboradecalin (TBD). Treating (PhTBDPhos)Mo(CO)4 (1) with HOTf or HNTf2 resulted in protonation of the bridgehead α-nitrogen on the TBD backbone and formation of ligand-centered borenium ions (1-HOTf and 1-HNTf2, respectively), whereas reaction of 1 with HBF4·Et2O resulted in protonation of two α-nitrogen atoms and fluoride abstraction from BF4- to form a four-coordinate borocation in [1-H2F][BF4]. Single-crystal XRD data confirmed the formation of the borocations, and multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy studies were used to interrogate the electronic environment at molybdenum and boron. The 11B NMR resonances for the borenium ions in 1-HOTf and 1-HNTf2 (δ 29.5 and 29.6 ppm) were more deshielded than the resonance for 1 (δ 25.9 ppm), consistent with the decreased electron density at boron. The 31P NMR data revealed similar trends in response to increasing protonation on the TBD backbone, and aligned well with small, stepwise increases in Mo-CO stretching frequencies that followed the order borane (1) < borenium (1-HOTf and 1-HNTf2) < boronium ([1-H2F][BF4]). Density functional theory calculations conducted on 1, 1-HOTf, and [1-H2F][BF4] revealed subtle changes in boron and nitrogen atomic charges consistent with those calculated for more well-established borenium ions in metal-free systems. Overall, the results confirm previous observations of latent borenium ion reactivity in TBDPhos complexes.

Direct and Base-Catalyzed Diboration of Alkynes Using the Unsymmetrical Diborane(4), pinB-BMes2

In the absence of transition metal catalysts, the unsymmetrical diborane(4), pinB-BMes2, reacted with alkynes to afford diborylalkenes. The isomer ratio of the products could be controlled via temperature, solvent, and additive(s). A reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of two isolated intermediates, and this reaction could furthermore be applied to synthesize a luminescent molecule.

Synthesis and characterisation of the complete series of B-N analogues of triptycene

The reaction between the bisborate Li2[o-C6H4(BH3)2] and 2 equivalents of an appropriate pyrazole derivative (Hpz(R)) in the presence of Me3SiCl yields o-phenylene-bridged pyrazaboles HB(μ-pz(R))2(μ-o-C6H4)BH (3a-3e; Hpz(R) = 4-iodopyrazole (3a), 4-(trimethylsilyl)pyrazole (3b), 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (3c), 3,5-di(tert-butyl)pyrazole (3d), 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole (3e)). The synthesis approach thus provides access to uncharged B-N triptycenes bearing (i) functionalisable groups, (ii) electron-donating or -withdrawing substituents and (iii) pyrazole rings of varying steric demand. Treatment of p-R*C6H4BBr2 with the potassium tris(pyrazol-1-yl)borates K[HBpz3] or K[p-R*C6H4Bpz3] yields cationic pyrazolyl-bridged pyrazaboles [p-BrC6H4B(μ-pz)3BH]Br ([4a]Br) and [p-R*C6H4B(μ-pz)3Bp-C6H4R*]Br (R* = Br ([4b]Br), I ([4c]Br), SiMe3 ([4d]Br)), which can be regarded as full B-N analogues of triptycene. The B-H bonds of 3b and [4a]Br are unreactive towards tBuC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CH even at temperatures of 80 °C, thereby indicating an appreciable thermal stability of the corresponding B-N cage bonds. Most of the cage compounds are sufficiently inert towards water to allow quick aqueous workup. However, NMR spectroscopy in CD3OD solution reveals degradation of 3b or [4a]Br to the corresponding pyrazoles and o-C6H4(B(OCD3)2)2 or p-BrC6H4B(OCD3)2/B(OCD3)3. The diphenylated species [4b]Br is significantly more stable under the same measurement conditions; even after 76 d, most of the material degrades only to the stage of the syn/anti-pyrazaboles p-BrC6H4(CD3O)B(μ-pz)2B(OCD3)p-C6H4Br (11a/11b). A derivatisation of [4c]Br with nBu3SnC≡CtBu through Stille-type coupling reactions furnishes the alkynyl derivative [p-tBuC≡CC6H4B(μ-pz)3Bp-C6H4C≡CtBu]Br ([4e]Br). Larger B-N aggregates are also accessible: treatment of the tetrakisborate Li4[1,2,4,5-C6H2(BH3)4] with 4 equivalents of Hpz(R) in the presence of Me3SiCl leads to the corresponding B-N pentiptycenes (Hpz(R) = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole (14a), 4-(trimethylsilyl)pyrazole (14b), 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (14c), 3,5-di(tert-butyl)pyrazole (14d)).

Highly-metallized phosphonium polyelectrolytes

The synthesis, characterization, and pyrolysis of a novel class of highly-metallized, redox-active polyelectrolytes that employ phosphorus as a scaffold for the installation of transition metals is described.