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Boron Containing Reactive Intermediates

The study of reactive intermediates lies at the heart of mechanistic chemistry. Our research focuses on neutral reactive boron containing compounds including borylenes, borylnitrenes, aminoborylenes, and azaborines. These correspond to the well-known carbenes, vinylidenes, and benzynes, respectively. Various pathways are employed towards these intermediates and their properties are being studied by low temperature spectroscopy and evaluated in synthetic transformations. Borylnitrenes, for example, can be generated photochemically from borylazides and be used for room temperature C–H transformation of unactivated hydrocarbons, including even the unreactive methane molecule.

Acenes

Acenes, composed of linearly annulated benzenes, experience significant interest as organic semiconducting materials. Unfortunately, their reactivity increases very quickly with length mainly due to oxidative decomposition. This is where our interests start: we focus on the synthesis, characterization, and investigation of the chemical properties of acenes that are too unstable under ordinary laboratory conditions.

BN Containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

We are also interested in novel compounds that include boron-nitrogen units within the carbon framework of polycyclic aromatics. Such BN-doped derivatives are currently receiving attention as promising novel organic-inorganic materials for electronic applications. Our research aims at the synthesis of such new materials that could be used in transitors, photovoltaics, or organic light emitting diodes.

More information is available on the group homepage of Holger Bettinger.