Simultaneous expansion of 9,10 boron-doped anthracene in longitudinal and lateral directions

Vicinal Vinylation of Boron-Doped Acenes via Heck Coupling

Silylated and halogenated benzenes 1,2-(Me3Si)2-4,5-X2-C6H2 [X = Br (3), I (4)] are versatile synthetic building blocks. 3 was prepared from known 1,2-(Me3Si)2-4,5-Cl2-C6H2 via C-Cl borylation/bromodeboronation; CuI-catalyzed Br/I exchange on 3 affords 4. 3 or 4 and BBr3 yield 9,10-dibromo-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracenes (DBAs) 7 or 8. The B centers were protected with mesityl (Mes; 9, 10) or 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (FMes; 11, 12) groups. Heck coupling of 9 and styrene/2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene furnishes the two tetravinyl-substituted green/blue emitters 13/14.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Borinic Acid Derivatives

Borinic acids [R2B(OH)] and their chelate derivatives are a subclass of organoborane compounds used in cross-coupling reactions, catalysis, medicinal chemistry, polymer or optoelectronics materials. In this paper, we review the recent advances in the synthesis of diarylborinic acids and their four-coordinated analogs. The main strategies to build up borinic acids rely either on the addition of organometallic reagents to boranes (B(OR)3, BX3, aminoborane, arylboronic esters) or the reaction of triarylboranes with a ligand (diol, amino alcohol, etc.). After general practical considerations of borinic acids, an overview of the main synthetic methods, their scope and limitations is provided. We also discuss some mechanistic aspects.

Diazadiboraacenes: Synthesis, Spectroscopy and Computations

The incorporation of heteroatoms into hydrocarbon compounds greatly expands the chemical space of molecular materials. In this context, B-N doping takes a center stage due to its isosterism with a C=C-bond. Herein, we present a new and modular synthetic concept to access novel diazadiborabenzo[b]triphenylenes 7 a-h using the B-N doped biradical 16 as intermediate. Characterization of the photophysical properties revealed the emission spectra of the diazadibora benzo[b]triphenylenes 7 a-h can conveniently be tuned by small changes of the substitution on the boron-atom. All of the diazadibora compounds show a short life-time phosphorescence. Additionally, we were able to rationalize the excited-state relaxation of the diazadiboraacene 7 a via intersystem crossing by quantum chemical calculations. The new synthetic strategy provides an elegant route to various novel B-N doped acenes with great potential for applications in molecular materials.

Diboraanthracene-Doped Polymer Systems for Colour-Tuneable Room-Temperature Organic Afterglow

Organic ultralong room temperature phosphorescence (RTP), or organic afterglow, is a unique phenomenon, gaining widespread attention due to its far-reaching application potential and fundamental interest. Here, two laterally expanded 9,10-dimesityl-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene (DBA) derivatives are demonstrated as excellent afterglow materials for red and blue-green light emission, which is traced back to persistent thermally activated delayed fluorescence and RTP. The lateral substitution of polycyclic DBA scaffold, together with weak transversal electron-donating mesityl groups, ensures the optimal molecular properties for (reverse) intersystem crossing and long-lived triplet states in a rigid poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix. The achieved afterglow emission quantum yields of up to 3 % and 15 %, afterglow lifetimes up to 0.8 s and 3.2 s and afterglow durations up to 5 s and 25 s (for red and blue-green emitters, respectively) are attributed to the properties of single molecules.

Charge-Transfer Transitions Govern the Reactivity and Photophysics of Vicinally Diphosphanyl-Substituted Diborapentacenes

2,3-Difluoro-5,14-dihydro-5,14-diborapentacene (DBP) was endowed with two vicinal Ph₂ P groups by an S_N Ar reaction at both CF sites using Ph₂ PSiMe₃ . Computations reveal the ambipolar product P to undergo P-to-B charge transfer under ambient light irradiation. Consequently, P is prone to photooxidation by air, yielding the Ph₂ P(O) species PO. With S₈ or [Me₃ O][BF₄ ], P furnishes the Ph₂ P(S) or Ph₂ P(Me)⁺ derivatives PS or [PMe][BF₄ ]₂ . Along the series P, PO, PS, and [PMe][BF₄ ]₂ , the redox potentials shift anodically from E_1/2 =-1.89 V to -1.02 V (CH₂ Cl₂ ). Thus, derivatization of the Ph₂ P group allows late-stage modulation of the LUMO-energy level of the DBP. Derivatization also influences the emission properties of the compounds, as PO shows green (521 nm) and [PMe][BF₄ ]₂ red (622 nm) fluorescence in C₆ H₆ , while P and PS are dark. With CuBr and AgBr, P forms dimeric [M(μ-Br)]₂ complexes [PCu]₂ and [PAg]₂ , which show pronounced metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), making P a promising ligand for photocatalysts.

(Dimesityl)boron Benzodithiophenes: Synthesis, Electrochemical, Photophysical and Theoretical Characterization

Triarylboranes containing linear or angular benzodithiophene moieties and bearing one or two dimesitylboron units were synthesized. The electrochemical and optical features of these compounds were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy while DFT calculations were run to analyze the energetic landscape of these systems. For both linear and angular benzodithiophenes, symmetrical disubstitution leads to the highest photoluminescence yields. The linear benzodithiophene disubstituted with two dimesitylboron units proved to be the most interesting and promising molecule as an electron-transport material for organic electronics owing to its LUMO energy level of -2.84 eV which is close to those of commonly used electron transport materials like bathocuproine or bathophenantroline.

Doubly Boron-Doped TADF Emitters Decorated with ortho-Donor Groups for Highly Efficient Green to Red OLEDs

Doubly boron-doped thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters based on a 9,10-diboraanthracene (DBA) acceptor decorated with ortho-donor groups (Cz2oDBA, 2; BuCz2oDBA, 3; DMAC2oDBA, 4) are prepared to realize high-efficiency green-to-red organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). X-ray diffraction analyses of 2 and 4 reveal the symmetrical and highly twisted ortho-donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) structure of the emitters. The twisted conformation leads to a very small energy splitting (ΔE_ST <0.08 eV) between the excited singlet and triplet states that gives rise to strong TADF, as supported by theoretical studies. Depending on the strength of the donor moieties, the emission color is fine-tuned in the visible region from green (2) to yellow (3) to red (4). Carbazole-containing 2 and 3 exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) approaching 100 %, whereas DMAC-substituted 4 is moderately emissive (PLQY=44 %) in a doped host film. Highly efficient green-to-red TADF-OLEDs are realized with the proposed ortho-D-A-D compounds as emitters. The green and yellow OLEDs incorporating Cz2oDBA (2) and BuCz2oDBA (3) emitters exhibit high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 26.6 % and 21.6 %, respectively. In particular, the green device shows an excellent power efficiency above 100 lm W^-1 . A red OLED fabricated with a DMAC2oDBA (4) emitter exhibits a maximum EQE of 10.1 % with an electroluminescence peak at 615 nm.

The synthesis of brominated-boron-doped PAHs by alkyne 1,1-bromoboration: mechanistic and functionalisation studies

The synthesis of a range of brominated-B n -containing (n = 1, 2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is achieved simply by reacting BBr3 with appropriately substituted alkynes via a bromoboration/electrophilic C-H borylation sequence. The brominated-B n -PAHs were isolated as either the borinic acids or B-mesityl-protected derivatives, with the latter having extremely deep LUMOs for the B2-doped PAHs (with one example having a reduction potential of E 1/2 = -0.96 V versus Fc+/Fc, Fc = ferrocene). Mechanistic studies revealed the reaction sequence proceeds by initial alkyne 1,1-bromoboration. 1,1-Bromoboration also was applied to access a number of unprecedented 1-bromo-2,2-diaryl substituted vinylboronate esters directly from internal alkynes. Bromoboration/C-H borylation installs useful C-Br units onto the B n -PAHs, which were utilised in Negishi coupling reactions, including for the installation of two triarylamine donor (D) groups onto a B2-PAH. The resultant D-A-D molecule has a low optical gap with an absorption onset at 750 nm and emission centered at 810 nm in the solid state.

Selective access to either a doubly boron-doped tetrabenzopentacene or an oxadiborepin from the same precursor

Depending on the solvent, a brominated arylborane gave the multiple helicene B₂-TBPA (pyridine) or the oxadiborepin ODBE (THF) after intramolecular Yamamoto coupling.

The well-known red emitter tetrabenzo[de,hi,op,st]pentacene (TBPA) has been transformed into a bright blue emitter (B₂-TBPA; λ_em = 472 nm; c-hexane) via substitutional doping with two boron atoms. In contrast to the electron-rich TBPA, which forms endo-peroxides with O₂ under daylight, the benchtop-stable B₂-TBPA is a good electron acceptor and undergoes reversible reduction at a moderate half-wave potential of E_1/2 = –1.73 V (vs. FcH/FcH⁺; THF). Although the size of B₂-TBPA falls within the nanoscale, the helically twisted compound readily dissolves in c-hexane and does not require solubilizing substituents. The synthesis of B₂-TBPA is based on the nickel-mediated Yamamoto-type dehalogenation of tetrabrominated 9,10-di(naphth-1-yl)-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene. This intramolecular C–C heterocoupling reaction shows a remarkable solvent dependence: B₂-TBPA forms only in pyridine (79% yield), whereas an oxadiborepin is obtained from THF solutions (ODBE, 81%; the reaction mixture is quenched with air in both cases). Insight into the corresponding reaction mechanism was gained from the isolation of intermediates and an investigation of their chemical properties. ODBE is an interesting blue emitter in its own right. Furthermore, it can be ring-opened with excess BBr₃ at the B–O–B moiety to afford a dimeric borabenzo[de]anthracene.

Aryl-aryl coupling in a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with embedded tetracoordinate boron centre

The addition of 2 eq. of MesLi to the biphenylene-containing 9,10-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene (DBA) 2 results in the formation of the corresponding oxaboraphenanthrene 3 after column chromatography under ambient conditions. In the initial step, the anionic B-Mes monoadduct of 2 is generated, which eliminates a formal [Mes₂B:]^- ion with concomitant C-C-bond formation (room temperature, 18 h). The resulting biphenylene-containing borafluorene 4 is still sufficiently Lewis acidic to add the second equivalent of MesLi ([4Mes]^-). Using pristine 9-mesityl-9-borafluorene as a model system, we confirmed that both 4 and [4Mes]^- should be capable of inserting an oxygen atom to furnish the observed oxaboraphenanthrene scaffold. The biphenylene-containing oxaboraphenanthrene 3 is a yellow compound with an absorption maximum at λ_max = 450 nm. Similar to its DBA analogue 2, 3 shows no photoluminescence.