Facile Synthesis of Asymmetric aza-Boron Dipyrromethene Analogues Bearing Quinoxaline Moiety

An asymmetric aza-BODIPY analogue bearing quinoxaline moiety was synthesized via a titanium tetrachloride-mediated Schiff-base-forming reaction of 6,7-dimethyl-1,4-dihydroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine. This novel aza-BODIPY analogue forms a complementary hydrogen-bonded dimer due to the quinoxaline moiety in the crystal structure. It also shows intense absorption and fluorescence, with fluorescence quantum yields close to unity. The electrochemical measurements and the DFT calculations revealed the presence of the low-lying HOMO, which benefits their potential applications as an electron-transporting material.

BOINPYs: facile synthesis and photothermal properties triggered by photoinduced nonadiabatic decay

Photothermal agents (PTAs) represent a core component of photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the current photothermal dyes are almost derived from well-known chromophores such as porphyrins, cyanine, and BODIPYs, and the design of new chromophores as versatile building blocks for PTA is considerably challenging because of the complexity of the modulation of excited-states. Herein, we adopted the concept of photoinduced nonadiabatic decay (PIND) to develop a photothermal boron-containing indoline-3-one-pyridyl chromophore (viz. BOINPY) with a facile one-pot synthesis and high yields. BOINPY derivatives exhibited specific features that fully address the concerns related to the design of PTA. The behavior and mechanism of BOINPYs for generating heat through the conical intersection pathway, which is called PIND, have been well understood through theoretical calculations. After encapsulation into the F127 copolymer, BOINPY@F127 nanoparticles displayed efficient photothermal conversion and performed well in the treatment of solid tumors upon light irradiation with good biocompatibility. This study provides useful theoretical guidance and concrete photothermal chromophores, which offer a versatile strategy embedding tunable properties for the development of diverse high-performance PTA.

Thiazole Boron Difluoride Dyes with Large Stokes Shift, Solid State Emission and Room-Temperature Phosphorescence

The small Stokes shift and weak emission in the solid state are two main shortcomings associated with the boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) family of dyes. This study presents the design, synthesis and luminescent properties of boron difluoro complexes of 2-aryl-5-alkylamino-4-alkylaminocarbonylthiazoles. These dyes display Stokes shifts (Δλ, 77-101 nm) with quantum yields (ϕ_FL ) up to 64.9 and 34.7 % in toluene solution and in solid state, respectively. Some of these compounds exhibit dual fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) emission properties with modulable phosphorescence quantum yields (ϕ_PL ) and lifetime (τ_p up to 251 μs). The presence of intramolecular H-bonds and negligible π-π stacking revealed by X-ray crystal structure might account for the observed large Stokes shift and significant solid-state emission of these fluorophores, while the enhanced spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of iodine and the self-assembly driven by halogen bonding, π-π and C-H^… π interactions could be responsible for the observed RTP of iodine containing phosphors.

B-O-B Bridged BOPPY Derivatives: Synthesis, Structures, and Acid-Catalyzed Cis-Trans Isomeric Interconversion

A new class of BOPPY derivatives has been facilely synthesized by a two-step reaction of coupling 3,5-dimethylpyrrole-2-carbaldehyde with 2,3-dihydrazinoquinoxaline (QDH) followed by coordinating with BF3·OEt2. The reaction mainly produces a...

A Family of Highly Fluorescent and Membrane-Permeable Bis(BF2) Acyl-Pyridinylhydrazine Dyes with Strong Solid-State Emission and Large Stokes Shifts: The BOAPH Fluorophores

Organic small-molecule fluorescent chromophores have become essential to modern chemical, biological, and materials related investigations. Herein, a straightforward synthesis and subsequent borylation were presented to form a novel family of bisBF₂-anchoring acyl-pyridinylhydrazine, which we named BOAPH. The chromophore enjoys outstanding structural diversities owing to varied acyl chlorides and N-heteroarenylhydrazides. These resultant BOAPH dyes are confirmed by NMR, HRMS, and single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. Their spectroscopic properties were studied, and most of the strong absorbance and bright fluorescence with maximum wavelengths centered in the range of 400 and 650 nm. More importantly, they exhibit promising fluorescence quantum yields up to 0.79 in solution and solid states, good photostability, and large Stokes shifts. Furthermore, a respective BOAPH dye with a para-dimethylaminophenyl group exhibited the interesting ability of ultrafast staining and two-photon imaging, which can specifically label lipid droplets of living cells immediately without the need for incubation.

Thermal switches between delayed fluorescence and persistent phosphorescence based on a keto-BODIPY electron acceptor

A new type of twisted donor-acceptor molecular material 3a and 3b containing carbazole as an electron donor and keto-BODIPY bearing keto-isoindolinyl and pyridyl subunits as an acceptor has been prepared and characterized. Chemical modifications at the meso-position of keto-BODIPY with a nitrogen atom and a cyano group enhance the electron withdrawing ability and cause the emission color change from blue to yellow and red. Steady-state absorption and emission spectra of the two compounds show a strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character. Time-resolved emission spectra and transient decay curves of 3a and 3b show efficient delayed fluorescence with a lifetime of 12.64 μs for 3a and 16.59 μs for 3b at room temperature, whereas persistent phosphorescence with a lifetime of 576.65 ms for 3a and 273.76 ms for 3b was obviously detected at 77 K. These photophysical behaviors have been fully revealed via X-ray diffraction analysis and theoretical calculations, and thus attributed to the hybridized local and charge-transfer (HLCT) states and increased spin-orbital coupling (SOC) strength by mixed n → π* and π → π* transitions involving heteroatom lone pairs and the π-conjugated skeleton, respectively.

Nonsymmetric Benzo[a]fused and Thiophene/Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene[b]fused BODIPYs: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties

The fusion of sufficient-electron heterocycle rings into the[a]/[b]-position of the BODIPY core would result in a large redshift wavelength, thus achieving red or near infrared emission. In this paper, we described the synthesis of nonsymmetric benzo[a]fused and thiophene/thieno[3,2-b]thiophene[b]fused BODIPY derivatives 2-3 while containing a reactive site, and then, 4-7 were developed by nucleophilic substitution reactions of 3 with various nucleophilic agents in high yields. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 2-7 revealed that the core structure adopted a planar geometry and π-π interactions were observed in the packing structure. BODIPYs 4 and 6-7 displayed a hypochromic shift in the absorption and bathochromic shift in the emission with increasing solvent polarity because of the formation of resonance structures resulting from the change of the C-N distance, which was rationalized by density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent-DFT calculations.

Aggregation-Induced Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Boron Complexes with a Carbazolyl Schiff Base

A variety of carbazolyl-appended Schiff bases were readily synthesized from 1-formylcarbazoles and aniline derivatives. Boron complexation of the resulting ligands allowed for facile preparation of new carbazole-based BODIPY analogues showing solid-state fluorescence. Furthermore, some dyes were converted into chiral compounds through the Et₂ AlCl-mediated incorporation of a binaphthyl unit. The chiral dyes showed aggregation-induced fluorescence and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with the Φ_F and g_lum of up to 0.22 and -3.5×10^-3 , respectively, in the solid state. The solid-state fluorescence and CPL were well characterized by the crystal packing analyses and DFT calculations.

Regulation of an Ambient-Light-Induced Photocyclization Pathway (Norrish-Yang Versus 6π) by Substituent Choice

Photocyclization, irrespective of whether multiple steps (e.g., Norrish-Yang cyclization) or a single concerted step (e.g., 6π photocyclization) are involved, is an intramolecular photochemical process resulting in the formation of one new single bond to afford a ring system. In particular, visible-light-induced photocyclization offers a green and sustainable route to organic cyclic compounds that are difficult to access by thermal reactions. Herein, we describe the ambient light-induced intramolecular photocyclization of a series of donor/acceptor chromophores 1 d-3 d containing two types of photoresponsive motifs, namely an electron-deficient BF₂ -chelated ketone fused with an electron-rich thiophene, and probe the solution-phase and solid-state photochromic performance of these compounds. The results reveal that simple variation of R substituents on the diaryl moiety allows one to control the intramolecular photocyclization mechanism with high photochemical selectivity, e.g., under ambient light, methyl-substituted 1 d and 2 d undergo reversible 6π photocyclization, whereas ethyl-substituted 3 d exclusively undergoes irreversible Norrish-Yang photocyclization. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of Norrish-Yang cyclization products reveals the formation of four pairs of conformational enantiomers differing in the dihedral angle between benzothiophene and the BF₂ core, namely (±)N-3 d@68°, (±)N-3 d@-77°, (±)N-3 d@-78°, and (±)N-3 d@-102°. The UV/Vis absorption spectra of 1 d-3 d cover a broad visible-light region (380-572 nm), while DFT and TD-DFT calculations reveal that absorption in this region is dominated by the charge-transfer (CT) transition from the thiophene-centered HOMO to the LUMO of the electron-deficient π-conjugated BF₂ -chelated unit and the n→π* and π→π* transitions within the latter unit. The spatial separation of the HOMO and LUMO of these dyes promotes triplet-state generation and self-photosensitizes intramolecular photocyclization in the visible-light region. Three-dimensional time-resolved and steady-state emission spectra of 3 d show that the Norrish-Yang photocyclization takes place within milliseconds with excellent conversion efficiency (96 %).

Density Functional Studies on Photophysical Properties of Boron-Pyridyl-Imino-Isoindoline Dyes: Effect of the Fusion

In this work, to make out the aryl-fusion effect on the photophysical properties of boron-pyridyl-imino-isoindoline dyes, compounds 1-5 were theoretically studied through analyses of their geometric and electronic structures, optical properties, transport abilities, and radiative (k _r) and non-radiative decay rate (k _nr) constants. The highest occupied molecular orbitals of aryl-fused compounds 2-5 are higher owing to the extended conjugation. Interestingly, aryl fusion in pyridyl increases the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level, while isoindoline decreases the LUMO level; thus, 4 and 5 with aryl fusion both in pyridyl and isoindoline exhibit a similar LUMO to 1. Compounds 4 and 5 show relatively low ionization potentials and high electron affinities, suggesting a better ability to inject holes and electrons. Importantly, the aryl fusion is conducive to the decrease of k _IC. The designed compound 5 exhibits a red-shifted emission maximum, low λ_h, and low k _IC, which endow it with great potential for applications in organic electronics. Our investigation provides an in-depth understanding of the aryl-fusion effect on boron-pyridyl-imino-isoindoline dyes at molecular levels and demonstrates that it is achievable.

A Family of BODIPY-like Highly Fluorescent and Unsymmetrical Bis(BF2) Pyrrolyl-Acylhydrazone Chromophores: BOAPY

A new family of pyrrolyl-acylhydrazones anchored with two BF₂ units, named BOAPY, have been developed as BODIPY-like and unsymmetrical bis(BF₂) chromophores via a simple one-pot reaction. The easily accessible scaffold enjoys excellent diversity due to the structural versatilities of 2-formylpyrroles and acylhydrazines. BOAPYs exhibit good molar absorption coefficients, large Stokes shifts, and excellent chemical stability. More importantly, most of them display excellent fluorescence quantum yields both in solution and the solid state (up to 0.88 and 0.64, respectively).

Fluorescent BF2 complexes of pyridyl-isoindoline-1-ones: synthesis, characterization and their distinct response to mechanical force

Three boron-pyridyl-isoindoline-1-one based dyes (B1, B2, and B3) with varied side groups were synthesized and their mechanochromic fluorescence properties were studied.

Mechanofluorochromic behaviors of triphenylamine functionalized salicylaldimine difluoroboron complexes

The solid-state emission of D–A type difluoroboron complexes is tuned by external forces.

Non-symmetric thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-fused BODIPYs: synthesis, spectroscopic properties and providing a functional strategy for NIR probes

Non-symmetric thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-fused BODIPYs were designed and characterized, and further functionalization through the Knoevenagel condensation reaction to form a NIR sensor was achieved.

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE)-active boron-difluoride dyes with reversible mechanochromic fluorescence

A novel class of solid-emissive boron-difluoride derivatives, using phenanthrenequinone hydrazone as ligands, were designed and efficiently synthesized. These dyes exhibit weak fluorescence in dilute solutions, but much higher fluorescence efficiency in aggregate states with a large stokes shift (over 70 nm) due to the their aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics. According to their photophysical properties and X-ray single crystal structure analysis, the AIEE was ascribed to the H(J)-aggregate formation aided by multiple intermolecular interactions to restrict intramolecular motion in the solid state. Moreover, their solid emissions could be reversibly tuned between “on” and “off” by mechanical grinding and recrystallization, due to the stacking model transition between H(J)-aggregation with loose molecular packing and J-aggregation with intense intermolecular interactions.

A class of AIEE-active mechanochromic boron-difluorides were reported, and the mechanochromism was ascribed to the transition between H(J)-aggregation with loose molecular packing and J-aggregation with intense intermolecular interactions.

aza-BODIPY synthesis towards vis/NIR functional chromophores based on a Schiff base forming reaction protocol using lactams and heteroaromatic amines

The Schiff base forming reaction of lactams and heteroaromatic amines led to creation of a new class of aza-BODIPY analogues as visible and near infrared functional chromophores.

Lanthanide-Catalyzed Tandem Insertion of Secondary Amines with 2-Alkynylbenzonitriles: Synthesis of Aminoisoindoles

A lanthanide-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of 2-alkynylbenzonitriles with secondary amines has been disclosed, providing a streamlined access to a range of aminoisoindoles in moderate to excellent yields. The salient features of this reaction include high bond-formation efficiency, mild reaction conditions, 100 % atomic efficiency and good functional group tolerance. This methodology has also been successfully applied to the construction of other nitrogen-containing compounds, such as 5 H-imidazo[2,1-a]isoindoles and isoquinolines. A plausible mechanism for the formation of aminoisoindoles involving initial N-H activation by a lanthanide complex followed by C≡N insertion into a Ln-N bond to form an amidinate lanthanide intermediate, which undergoes the cyclization is proposed.

Benzo[4,5]thiazolo[3,2- c][1,3,5,2]oxadiazaborinines: Synthesis, Structural, and Photophysical Properties

A family of highly emissive benzo[4,5]thiazolo[3,2- c][1,3,5,2]oxadiazaborinines, conjugated with the donor 4-dimethylaminophenyl group, was designed and synthesized. Their photophysical, both in solution and in the solid state, and structural properties were investigated. The influence of donor and acceptor substituents (R) in the benzothiazole unit on photophysical properties of complexes was found out. The tetrafluorobenzothiazole analogue exhibits nonbonded nuclear spin-spin coupling between fluorines from the BF₂ group and α-fluorine atom at the benzene ring. Additionally, this boron complex demonstrates a comparatively high solid-state fluorescence quantum yield (Φ = 0.34).

Pyrimidine-containing β-iminoenolate difluoroboron complexes acting as non-traditional π-gelators and mechanofluorochromic dyes

A xerogel-based film based on a mechanofluorochromic dye of a β-iminoenolate difluoroboron complex could detect TFA vapor with high performance.

Disilanylene-bridged BODIPY-based D–σ–A architectures: a novel promising series of NLO chromophores

A novel series of disilanylene-bridged BODIPY-based chromophores have been reported.

N-Bridged Annulated BODIPYs: Synthesis of Highly Fluorescent Blueshifted Dyes

A series of novel BODIPY dyes has been prepared through the introduction of an N-bridged annulated meso-phenyl ring at one of the β-positions of the BODIPY core. An unusual blueshift of the main spectral bands is observed, since the fusion of a meso-substituent results in a marked relative destabilization of the LUMO. The greater rigidity of the ring-fused structure leads to very high fluorescence quantum yields. The position of the main spectral bands can be fine-tuned by introducing electron withdrawing and donating groups onto the meso-phenyl ring.

Synthesis of carbazole-based BODIPY dimers showing red fluorescence in the solid state

Carbazole-based BODIPY dimers 2a–g were synthesized via direct arylation.

Carbazole-based BODIPYs with ethynyl substituents at the boron center: solid-state excimer fluorescence in the VIS/NIR region

Carbazole-based BODIPYs 1–6 with several different substituents at the boron atom site were synthesized.

Aza boron-pyridyl-isoindoline analogues: synthesis and photophysical properties

The synthesis and properties of four aza boron pyridyl-isoindoline analogues that differ in the position of fused benzene ring annelation on the pyridyl moiety is reported.

Heck functionalization of an asymmetric aza-BODIPY core: synthesis of far-red infrared probes for bioimaging applications

Heck functionalization of azadipyrromethenes (aza-DIPY) allows the introduction of suitable functional groups to convert aza-BODIPY in bioconjugate complexes.

Copper(ii)-promoted oxidative C–H/C–H cross-coupling for rapid access to aza-BODIPY-indole derivatives with broad optical absorption

The absorption band of aza-BODIPY is remarkably broadened by coupling with indoles via a concise and inexpensive approach.

Synthesis and fluorescence properties of novel squarylium–boron complexes

Novel squarylium–boron complexes showed a significantly enhanced fluorescence quantum yield compared to the corresponding uncomplexed squarylium dyes.

A four-fold interpenetrated metal-organic framework as a fluorescent sensor for volatile organic compounds

A four-fold interpenetrated three dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework, [Cd2(tppe)(bpdc)2(H2O)]·solvent (1), was synthesized with a tetraphenylethene (TPE)-based ligand, 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)ethene (TPPE). This complex exhibits intense blue luminescence and is sensitive to toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Highly emissive organic solids with remarkably broad color tunability based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organoborons

Molecular fluorophores based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organoborons exhibit tunable solid-state emission colors that cover the whole visible region from blue to red. The emission color can be tuned through the substituents on either quinolines or the boron center.

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of novel N–N linked bis-(diphenylboron) complexes

Novel five-membered-ring and six-membered-ring bis-(diphenylboron) complexes are reported.

Boron templated synthesis of a BODIPY analogue from a phthalocyanine precursor

The synthesis of aza(dibenzopyrro)methenes (ADBMs) using aryl boron compounds as templates is described. Compounds (1–3) are structurally related to the BODIPYs and were isolated with terminal imine, oxo, or mixed imine-oxo groups. Compounds 1–3 were investigated for their absorption/emission properties, and were probed by DFT and TDDFT methods.

Benzothiazole–pyrimidine-based BODIPY analogues: promising luminophores with fluorescence sensing and imaging ability and asymmetrization-induced solid-state emission

A series of boron difluoride dyes were demonstrated to possess intense emission both in solution and solid-state. Their fluorogenic sensing and imaging abilities were also investigated.

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of pyridyl-enamido-based organoboron luminophores

A new family of pyridyl-enamido-based organoboron complexes (Borepy1–4) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were developed. They show very weak fluorescence in low-viscosity organic solvents and exhibit intense fluorescence in high-viscosity solvents or in their aggregate/solid states. X-ray crystallographic analysis shows that the weak intermolecular interactions by fixing the molecular conformations of Borepy1–4 are responsible for intense fluorescence in the solid state. TD-DFT calculations show that the maximum absorption bands for Borepy1–4 can be easily tuned.