(Hetero)arene-fused boroles: a broad spectrum of applications

(Hetero)arene-fused boroles are a class of compounds containing a 5-membered boron diene-ring. Based on their molecular framework, the (hetero)arene-fused boroles can be considered as boron-doped polycyclic antiaromatic hydrocarbons and are thus of great interest. Due to the vacant p(z) orbital on the 3-coordinate boron atom, the antiaromaticity and strain of the 5-membered borole ring, (hetero)arene-fused boroles possess strong electron accepting abilities and Lewis acidity. By functionalization, they can be tuned to optimize different properties for specific applications. Herein, we summarize synthetic methodologies, different strategies for their functionalization, and applications of (hetero)arene-fused boroles.

Automated summary

(Hetero)arene-fused boroles are a class of compounds with a 5-membered boron diene-ring, considered as boron-doped polycyclic antiaromatic hydrocarbons. Due to their unique molecular framework, they possess strong electron accepting abilities and Lewis acidity, making them tunable for specific applications through functionalization. This summary discusses synthetic methodologies, functionalization strategies, and applications of (hetero)arene-fused boroles.