Modular Synthesis of Pentagonal and Hexagonal Ring-Fused NBN-Phenalenes Leading to an Excited-State Aromatization-Induced Structural Planarization Molecular Library

Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a nitrogen-boron-nitrogen (NBN) moiety have recently attracted tremendous interest due to their intriguing electronic and optoelectronic properties, all of the NBN-fused π-systems reported to date are called NBN-dibenzophenalenes and were synthesized by electrophilic aromatic substitution. The synthesis of NBN-phenalenes remains challenging, and transition-metal catalysis has never been utilized to construct NBN-embedded π-scaffolds. Herein, a palladium-catalyzed cyclization/bicyclization strategy was developed for the synthesis of diverse pentagonal and hexagonal ring-fused NBN-phenalenes and half-NBN-phenalenes. All of the NBN-embedded π-scaffolds presented in our paper are fluorescent in both solution and the solid state. Further investigations showed that the five-membered NBN rings exhibit the properties of traditional luminogens, while those with a six-membered NBN ring generally undergo photoinduced structural planarization (PISP) and exhibit different colors and quantum yields of fluorescence with different concentrations in solution. Time-resolved spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations revealed that excited-state aromatization is the driving force for PISP in hexagonal ring-fused NBN-π systems, leading to the formation of excimers. Notably, the scope of PISP compounds is still quite limited, and PISP has never been observed in NBN-π systems before. These hexagonal ring-fused NBN-π systems constitute a novel PISP molecular library and appear to be a new class of aggregation-induced excimer emission (AIEE) materials. Finally, the AIEE behavior of these six-membered NBN rings was applied to the detection of nitro explosives, achieving excellent sensitivity. In general, this work provides a new viewpoint for synthesizing NBN-fused π-systems and understanding the excited-state motion of luminogens.

BNB-Doped Phenalenyls: Modular Synthesis, Optoelectronic Properties, and One-Electron Reduction

A highly modular synthesis of BNB- and BOB-doped phenalenyls is presented. Treatment of the 1,8-naphthalenediyl-bridged boronic acid anhydride 1 with LiAlH₄/Me₃SiCl afforded the corresponding 1,8-naphthalenediyl-supported diborane(6) 2, which served as the starting material for all subsequent transformations. Upon addition of MesMgBr/Me₃SiCl, 2 was readily converted to the tetraorganyl diborane(6) 5. The further heteroatoms were finally introduced through the reaction of 2 with (Me₃Si)₂NR' or 5 with H₂NR' or H₂O (R' = H, Me, p-Tol). A helically twisted, fully BNB-embedded PAH 11 was prepared by combining 2 with a dibrominated m-terphenylamine, followed by a Grignard-mediated double ring-closure reaction. All compounds devoid of B-H bonds show favorable optoelectronic properties, such as luminescence and reversible reduction behavior. In the case of the BNB-phenalenyl 7 (BMes, NMe), the radical-anion salt K[7^•] was generated through chemical reduction with K metal and characterized by EPR spectroscopy. K[7^•] is not long-term stable in a THF/c-hexane solution, but abstracts an H atom with formation of the diamagnetic BNB-doped 1H-phenalene K[7H].

Isolation and characterisation of a stable 2-azaphenalenyl azomethine ylide

Although azomethine ylides have been fully exploited as versatile reactive intermediates in dipolar cycloaddition reactions to construct a variety of heterocyclic compounds involving a nitrogen atom, little is known about their structural and electronic properties. Here a method is developed for the preparation, isolation and characterization of a stable 2-azaphenalenyl based azomethine ylide. N-Phenyl-5,8-di-t-butyl-2-azaphenalenyl cannot be isolated because it undergoes rapid dimerization by C–C bond formation at the 1 and 3 positions. In contrast, sterically bulkier N-2,6-di(isopropyl)phenyl-5,8-di-t-butyl-2-azaphenalenyl can be generated and isolated as deep green crystals under deoxygenated conditions. X-ray crystal analysis of this stable azomethine ylide reveals that its azaphenalenyl skeleton has very small bond alternation and structural deformation. The results of spectroscopic and electrochemical theoretical studies indicate that N-2,6-di(isopropyl)phenyl-5,8-di-t-butyl-2-azaphenalenyl has electronic features that are similar to those of phenalenyl anion and it possesses an extremely high HOMO energy.

Polycyclic heteroaromatic hydrocarbons containing a benzoisoindole core

By the combination of 9a-azaphenalene and a perpendicularly oriented acene, we have synthesized three derivatives of a series of novel, fully-conjugated nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Rh(iii)-catalyzed relay carbenoid functionalization of aromatic C–H bonds: access to π-conjugated fused heteroarenes

A novel Rh(iii)-catalyzed relay cross-coupling cascade between arylketoimines and diazoesters is described. This transformation provides a concise access to unique π-conjugated 1-azaphenalenes (1-APLEs) via a double aryl Csp²–H bond carbenoid functionalization process.

Rhodium-catalyzed cascade oxidative annulation leading to substituted naphtho[1,8-bc]pyrans by sequential cleavage of C(sp2)-H/C(sp3)-H and C(sp2)-H/O-H bonds

The cascade oxidative annulation reactions of benzoylacetonitrile with internal alkynes proceed efficiently in the presence of a rhodium catalyst and a copper oxidant to give substituted naphtho[1,8-bc]pyrans by sequential cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H and C(sp(2))-H/O-H bonds. These cascade reactions are highly regioselective with unsymmetrical alkynes. Experiments reveal that the first-step reaction proceeds by sequential cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H bonds and annulation with alkynes, leading to 1-naphthols as the intermediate products. Subsequently, 1-naphthols react with alkynes by cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/O-H bonds, affording the 1:2 coupling products. Moreover, some of the naphtho[1,8-bc]pyran products exhibit intense fluorescence in the solid state.

Synthesis of naphtho[1,8-bc]pyran derivatives and related compounds through hydroxy group directed C-H bond cleavage under rhodium catalysis

The straightforward and efficient synthesis of naphtho[1,8-bc]pyran derivatives and related polycyclic compounds is achieved by the rhodium-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 1-naphthols or other phenolic and alcoholic substrates with alkynes. In these annulation reactions, the hydroxy groups effectively act as the key function for the regioselective C-H bond cleavage.