Selective Ir-catalysed borylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: structures of naphthalene-2,6-bis(boronate), pyrene-2,7-bis(boronate) and perylene-2,5,8,11-tetra(boronate) esters

The selectivity of the iridium boryl complex-catalysed reaction of pyrene and perylene with B-2(pin)(2) (pin = OCMe2CMe2O) has been employed in the synthesis of D-2h-symmetry pyrene-2,7-( Bpin)(2) and D-4h-symmetry perylene-2,5,8,11-(Bpin)(4) providing direct borylation of positions which are otherwise difficult to derivatise.