Difluoroboron β-diketonate dyes: Spectroscopic properties and applications

Difluoroboron beta-diketonate complexes (BF(2)bdks) are highly luminescent organoboron complexes with several attributes such as strong fluorescence in both solution and solid state, large extinction coefficients, tunable fluorescent emission, and two-photon excited fluorescence. Some BF(2)bdks exhibit mechanochromic properties and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in solid state. Due to their rich photophysical properties, BF(2)bdks have shown wide applications in various areas. This review focuses on the basic chemistry and spectroscopic properties of BF(2)bdks in solution and solid state, as well as their self-assemblies and applications in biosensing, bioimaging and optoelectronic devices. A brief summary and outlook on BF(2)bdks chemistry are also included. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.