Synthesis and Optical Properties of a Series of Green‐Light‐Emitting 2‐(4‐Phenylquinolin‐2‐yl)phenol–BF2 Complexes (Boroquinols)

Abstract

AbstractA series of 2‐(4‐phenylquinolin‐2‐yl)phenol derivatives were efficiently synthesized and complexed with boron trifluoride to give fluorescent organoboron complexes. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C, 11B, 19F NMR, FTIR, and HRMS analyses, and single‐crystal structures of representative compounds were determined to examine the conformations of these compounds. The electronic properties of 2‐(4‐phenylquinolin‐2‐yl)phenol–BF2 complexes were studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and the complexes were found to be highly emissive in the solid state. The electrochemical properties of boroquinols were measured by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in acetonitrile with 0.1 M tetrabutyl ammonium hexafluorophosphate as a supporting electrolyte and the LUMO values of boroquinols were calculated to range from –2.64 to –3.46 eV, with HOMO values of –5.32 to –6.10 eV.