Chemistry of Boron-Containing pi-Electron Materials

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H05261
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Broad Section E
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi Shigehiro 名古屋大学, 物質科学国際研究センター(WPI), 教授 (60260618)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ホウ素 / π電子系 / 近赤外蛍光 / 超分子ポリマー / ラジカル / Lewis酸性 / 有機EL / 蛍光イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Among various main-group elements, boron is particularly a useful element to create pi-conjugated skeletons with unusual electronic structures. In this study, we developed various types of optoelectronic functional molecules by pursuing the characteristic features of boron. So far, we have shown that the triarylborane skeleton can be stabilized without steric protection by constraining the structure in a planar fashion. By taking this design strategy one-step further, we developed near-infrared fluorescent materials and luminescent stable organic radicals. We also in-depth studied the complex formation between the planarized boron-containing π-electron systems and Lewis bases in both ground and excited states, and achieved controlling over the supramolecular polymerization processes. Furthermore, we applied the boron π-electron systems to organic electroluminescent devices and fluorescence imaging to demonstrate their potential utilities in these aspects.

Free Research Field

有機元素化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

物質の特性・機能を決める特定元素の役割を理解し，有効活用することは物質科学の根源であり，挑戦し続けるべき課題である．本研究では，構造固定化の概念を分子設計指針に据え，ホウ素を含む一連の機能性材料の開発を達成した．秀逸な近赤外蛍光材料の開発やホウ素安定化ラジカルの有機発光性材料としての有用性を実証しただけでなく，ホウ素のLewis酸性を活用した分子の集合化の制御の仕方や，蛍光イメージングなどの生物学ツールとしての潜在性を示し，機能性材料を指向した有機ホウ素化学ひいては典型元素化学に重要な方向性を示した．