Boron‐Based Drug Design

The use of the element boron, which is not generally observed in a living body, possesses a high potential for the discovery of new biological activity in pharmaceutical drug design. In this account, we describe our recent developments in boron‐based drug design, including boronic acid containing protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, and tubulin polymerization inhibitors, and ortho‐carborane‐containing proteasome activators, hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 inhibitors, and topoisomerase inhibitors. Furthermore, we applied a closo‐dodecaborate as a water‐soluble moiety as well as a boron‐10 source for the design of boron carriers in boron neutron capture therapy, such as boronated porphyrins and boron lipids for a liposomal boron delivery system.     

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Methylenecyclobutanes by Merging Boron‐Homologation and Boron‐Allylation Strategies

A highly diastereoselective synthesis of methylenecyclobutanes possessing a quaternary stereocenter is reported, in which boron homologation of an easily‐generated cyclobutenylmetal species is performed, followed by an allylation reaction. Combining three steps in a one‐pot process further optimized the method, which afforded the expected adducts in excellent yields and stereoselectivity, starting from commercially available 4‐bromobutyne.     

Metal‐Free Boron‐Containing Heterogeneous Catalysts

Metal‐free catalysts have distinct advantages over metal and metal oxide catalysts, such as lower cost as well as higher reliability and sustainability. Among the nonmetal compounds used in catalysis, boron‐containing compounds with a few unique properties have been developed. In this Minireview, the recent advances in the field of boron‐containing metal‐free catalysts are presented, including binary and ternary boron‐containing catalytic materials. Additionally, the three main applications in catalysis are considered, namely, electrocatalysis, thermal catalysis, and photocatalysis, with the role of boron discussed in depth for each specific catalytic application. Boron‐containing compounds could have a substantial impact on the field of metal‐free catalysts in the future.     

Boron‐Cluster‐Enhanced Ultralong Organic Phosphorescence

Although carborane‐based luminescent materials have been studied for years, no persistent phosphor has been reported so far. Herein, we describe boron‐cluster‐based persistent phosphors obtained by linking a σ‐aromatic carboranyl cage to the π system of a carbazolyl group. The carboranes were found to promote intersystem crossing from a singlet to a triplet state. The rigid boron cluster was able to stabilize the ultralong triplet excitons through multiple nonclassical hydrogen bonds, such as B?H???π interactions, thus leading to a long lifetime of up to 0.666 s and an absolute phosphorescence quantum yield of 7.1 %, which is outstanding for an organic phosphor without heavy atoms. These phosphors can be excited by visible light and show dynamic emission behavior, including thermochromism and mechanochromism. This study demonstrates that non‐metal/heavy‐atom boron clusters can be used to develop multifunctional high‐performance phosphors for potential applications.     

A Phosphine‐Coordinated Boron‐Centered Gomberg‐Type Radical

The P‐coordinated boryl radical [Ph₂P(naphthyl)BMes]^. (Mes=mesityl) was prepared by (electro)chemical reduction of the corresponding borenium salt or bromoborane. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis in solution and DFT calculations indicate large spin density on boron (60–70 %) and strong P–B interactions (P→B σ donation and B→P negative hyperconjugation). The radical is persistent in solution and participates in a Gomberg‐type dimerization process. The associated quinoid‐type dimer has been characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.     

Photosynthetic Antenna‐Reaction Center Mimicry with a Covalently Linked Monostyryl Boron‐Dipyrromethene–Aza‐Boron‐Dipyrromethene–C60 Triad

An efficient functional mimic of the photosynthetic antenna‐reaction center has been designed and synthesized. The model contains a near‐infrared‐absorbing aza‐boron‐dipyrromethene (ADP) that is connected to a monostyryl boron‐dipyrromethene (BDP) by a click reaction and to a fullerene (C₆₀) using the Prato reaction. The intramolecular photoinduced energy and electron‐transfer processes of this triad as well as the corresponding dyads BDP‐ADP and ADP‐C₆₀ have been studied with steady‐state and time‐resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods in benzonitrile. Upon excitation, the BDP moiety of the triad is significantly quenched due to energy transfer to the ADP core, which subsequently transfers an electron to the fullerene unit. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric studies have revealed the redox states of the components, which allow estimation of the energies of the charge‐separated states. Such calculations show that electron transfer from the singlet excited ADP (¹ADP*) to C₆₀ yielding ADP^.+‐C₆₀^.? is energetically favorable. By using femtosecond laser flash photolysis, concrete evidence has been obtained for the occurrence of energy transfer from ¹BDP* to ADP in the dyad BDP‐ADP and electron transfer from ¹ADP* to C₆₀ in the dyad ADP‐C₆₀. Sequential energy and electron transfer have also been clearly observed in the triad BDP‐ADP‐C₆₀. By monitoring the rise of ADP emission, it has been found that the rate of energy transfer is fast (≈10¹¹ s^?1). The dynamics of electron transfer through ¹ADP* has also been studied by monitoring the formation of C₆₀ radical anion at 1000 nm. A fast charge‐separation process from ¹ADP* to C₆₀ has been detected, which gives the relatively long‐lived BDP‐ADP^.+C₆₀^.? with a lifetime of 1.47 ns. As shown by nanosecond transient absorption measurements, the charge‐separated state decays slowly to populate mainly the triplet state of ADP before returning to the ground state. These findings show that the dyads BDP‐ADP and ADP‐C₆₀, and the triad BDP‐ADP‐C₆₀ are interesting artificial analogues that can mimic the antenna and reaction center of the natural photosynthetic systems.     

Boron‐Catalyzed N‐Alkylation of Amines using Carboxylic Acids

A boron‐based catalyst was found to catalyze the straightforward alkylation of amines with readily available carboxylic acids in the presence of silane as the reducing agent. Various types of primary and secondary amines can be smoothly alkylated with good selectivity and good functional‐group compatibility. This metal‐free amine alkylation was successfully applied to the synthesis of three commercial medicinal compounds, Butenafine, Cinacalcet. and Piribedil, in a one‐pot manner without using any metal catalysts.     

Boron‐Based Catalysts for C−C Bond‐Formation Reactions

Because the construction of the C?C bond is one of the most significant reactions in organic chemistry, the development of an efficient strategy has attracted much attention throughout the synthetic community. Among various protocols to form C?C bonds, organoboron compounds are not just limited to stoichiometric reagents, but have also made great achievements as catalysts because of the easy modification of the electronic and steric impacts on the boron center. This review presents recent developments of boron‐based catalysts applied in the field of C?C bond‐formation reactions, which are classified into four kinds on the basis of the type of boron catalyst: 1) highly Lewis acidic borane, B(C₆F₅)₃; 2) organoboron acids, RB(OH)₂, and their ester derivatives; 3) borenium ions, (R₂BL)X; and 4) other miscellaneous kinds.     

Boron‐Metallated Borirenes and Bis(Borirenes)

Heating the metalloborylene complex [{(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Fe(CO)₂}(μ‐B){Cr(CO)₅}] with alkynes and diynes leads to the formation of B‐metallated borirenes and a bis(B‐metallated borirene) through formal transfer of the metalloborylene moiety [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)(OC)₂Fe(B:)]. By using this protocol, a range of B‐metallated borirenes with electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing substituents are prepared, and these are studied spectroscopically, structurally, and computationally. The yellow‐orange color of the complexes is additionally explained through time‐dependent density functional theory calculations.     

1,2‐Azaborine: The Boron‐Nitrogen Derivative of ortho‐Benzyne

The BN analogue of ortho‐benzyne, 1,2‐azaborine, is generated by flash vacuum pyrolysis, trapped under cryogenic conditions, and studied by direct spectroscopic techniques. The parent BN aryne spontaneously binds N₂ and CO₂, thus demonstrating its highly reactive nature. The interaction with N₂ is photochemically reversible. The CO₂ adduct of 1,2‐azaborine is a cyclic carbamate which undergoes photocleavage, thus resulting in overall CO₂ splitting.     

A Neutral and Aromatic Boron‐Rich Inorganic Benzene

A neutral 1,4‐diaza‐2,3,5,6‐tetraborinine derivative ( 3 ) featuring a 6π ring system has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The prospective aromatic nature of 3 was assessed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, NMR, and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy as well as computational studies. Furthermore, preliminary reactivity investigations showed that 3 does not only react with diphenyl acetylene but also readily captures CO₂ in a [4+2] cycloaddition under ambient conditions.     

Blue‐to‐Orange Color‐Tunable Laser Emission from Tailored Boron‐Dipyrromethene Dyes

A series of meso‐substituted boron‐bipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes are synthesized and their laser and photophysical properties systematically studied. Laser emission covering a wide visible spectral region (from blue to orange) is obtained by just changing the electron donor character of the heteroatom at position 8. The additional presence of methyl groups at positions 3 and 5 results in dyes with a photostability similar to that of the unsubstituted dye but with much improved efficiency. Correlation of the lasing properties of the different dyes to their photophysical properties provides inklings to define synthetic strategies of new BODIPY dyes with enhanced efficiency and modulated wavelength emission over the visible spectral region.     

Boron‐Doped Diamond Dual‐Plate Deep‐Microtrench Device for Generator‐Collector Sulfide Sensing

A BDD‐BDD dual‐plate microtrench electrode with 6 μm inter‐electrode spacing is investigated using generator‐collector electrochemistry and shown to give microtrench depth‐dependent sulfide detection down to the μM levels. The effect of the microtrench depth is compared for a “shallow” 44 μm and a “deep” 180 μm microtrench and linked to the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide which interferes with sulfide redox cycling. With a deeper microtrench and a fixed collector potential at ?1.4 V vs. SCE, two distinct redox cycling potential domains are observed at 0.0 V vs. SCE (2‐electron) and at 1.1 V vs. SCE (6‐electron).     

Boron‐Containing Probes for Non‐optical High‐Resolution Imaging of Biological Samples

Boron has been employed in materials science as a marker for imaging specific structures by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) or secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). It has a strong potential in biological analyses as well; however, the specific coupling of a sufficient number of boron atoms to a biological structure has proven challenging. Herein, we synthesize tags containing closo‐1,2‐dicarbadodecaborane, coupled to soluble peptides, which were integrated in specific proteins by click chemistry in mammalian cells and were also coupled to nanobodies for use in immunocytochemistry experiments. The tags were fully functional in biological samples, as demonstrated by nanoSIMS imaging of cell cultures. The boron signal revealed the protein of interest, while other SIMS channels were used for imaging different positive ions, such as the cellular metal ions. This allows, for the first time, the simultaneous imaging of such ions with a protein of interest and will enable new biological applications in the SIMS field.     

Some Electrochemical Characteristics of Boron‐ and Phosphorus‐Doped Glassy Carbon Electrodes

Three glassy carbon (GC) samples: undoped and doped with boron or phosphorus, prepared at 1000 °C, were compared in respect to hydrodynamic current‐potential curves in acidic medium, cyclic voltammograms for Fe^3+/2+ and Fe(CN)₆^3?/4? and argentometric titrations of halides. Some experiments were also carried out using standard Tokai and Sigri GC and Ag electrode. It appeared that GC doped with boron and phosphorus exhibited significant increase in hydrogen evolution overpotential. As for the electrode kinetics (ΔE_p criterion), no significant difference was observed between doped and undoped electrodes. In the potentiometric titrations the phosphorus‐doped electrode was advantageous over the other GC and Ag electrodes as it enabled more precise end‐point detection.     

Electrochemical Determination of Sulphur‐containing Pharmaceuticals Using Boron‐doped Diamond Electrodes

N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) and gentamicin sulfate (GS) are biologically and pharmaceutically relevant thiol‐containing compounds. NAC is well known for its antioxidant properties, whereas GS is an aminoglycoside that is used as a broadband antibiotic. Both pharmaceuticals play a significant role in the treatment of bacterial infections by suppressing the formation of biofilms. According to the European Pharmacopeia protocol, GS is analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using gold electrodes for electrochemical detection. Here, we report the electrochemical detection of these compounds at NH₂‐terminated boron‐doped diamond electrodes, which show significantly reduced electrode passivation, an issue commonly known for gold electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry experiments performed for a period of 70 minutes showed that the peak current decreased only by 1.6 %/7.4 % for the two peak currents recorded for GS, and 6.6 % for the oxidation peak of NAC, whereas at gold electrodes a decrease in peak current of 14.2 % was observed for GS, and of 64 %/30 % for the two peak currents of NAC. For their quantitative determination, differential pulse voltammetry was performed in a concentration range of 2–49 µg/mL of NAC with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.527 µg/mL, and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.624 µg/mL, respectively. The quantification of GS in a concentration range of 0.2–50 µg/mL resulted in a LOD of 1.714 µg/mL, and a LOQ of 6.420 µg/mL, respectively.     

Near‐Infrared Quadrupolar Chromophores Combining Three‐Coordinate Boron‐Based Superdonor and Superacceptor Units

Herein, two new quadrupolar acceptor‐π‐donor‐π‐acceptor (A‐π‐D‐π‐A) chromophores have been prepared featuring a strongly electron‐donating diborene core and strongly electron‐accepting dimesitylboryl (BMes₂) and bis(2,4,6‐tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)boryl (B^FMes₂) end groups. Analysis of the compounds by NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, and UV/Vis‐NIR absorption and emission spectroscopy indicated that the compounds have extended conjugated π‐systems spanning their B₄C₈ cores. The combination of exceptionally potent π‐donor (diborene) and π‐acceptor (diarylboryl) groups, both based on trigonal boron, leads to very small HOMO–LUMO gaps, resulting in strong absorption in the near‐IR region with maxima in THF at 840 and 1092 nm and very high extinction coefficients of ca. 120 000 m ^?1 cm^?1. Both molecules also display weak near‐IR fluorescence with small Stokes shifts.