Divergent Synthesis of Heteroatom-Centered 4,8,12-Triazatriangulenes

The increasing attention devoted to triangulenes and their heteroatom derivatives inspired us to explore a divergent synthesis of heteroatom-centered 4,8,12-triazatriangulenes, which involved the preparation of a nitrogen-containing macrocyclic precursor and subsequent central heteroatom introduction by electrophilic C-Li and C-H substitution. The boron-centered triangulene has a planar structure unlike the bowl-shaped phosphorus-and silicon-centered triangulenes. The described synthetic procedure can be used to fabricate a broad range of attractive functional materials, for example, for organic light-emitting diodes, based on heteroatom-centered triangulenes.