BOQUIPHY: Synthesis of a Family of Unsymmetrical Difluoroboron Chromophores

Abstract

BOQUIPHY, a new class of boron difluoride-rigidified dyes, features a π-extended donor−acceptor macrocycle with two BF2 units. Its modular synthesis, starting from commercial materials, allows functionalization via palladium-mediated reactions. BOQUIPHY exhibits high stability, strong absorption (400−600 nm), and high fluorescence quantum yields between 0.13 and 0.92. Its absorption can be red-shifted by substitutions. These attributes make BOQUIPHYs promising for optoelectronics, bioimaging, and photodynamic therapy.