Synthesis, Structure, Spectral, and Anion Sensing Studies of an Aromatic meso-Fused Boron(III) Benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) Complex

Avisikta Sinha; Ankit Kumar; Mangalampalli Ravikanth

doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02713

Synthesis, Structure, Spectral, and Anion Sensing Studies of an Aromatic meso-Fused Boron(III) Benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) Complex

Inorg Chem. 2021 Dec 6;60(23):18094-18102. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02713. Epub 2021 Nov 9.

Authors

Avisikta Sinha¹, Ankit Kumar¹, Mangalampalli Ravikanth¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.

PMID: 34752072
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02713

Abstract

An aromatic tricoordinated organo B(III) complex of benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) was synthesized by treating the nonaromatic phlorin analogue of meso-fused benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) with BCl₃ in triethylamine/toluene and refluxing for 2 h. The X-ray structure revealed that B(III) was in a trigonal-planar geometry and was coordinated to two nitrogen atoms and one carbon. Insertion of the small B(III) ion into the meso-fused phlorin analogue resulted in transforming the nonaromatic phlorin analogue to an aromatic B(III) benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) complex. Spectral and electrochemical studies supported the aromatic nature of the B(III) complex of benzitriphyrin(2.1.1). Theoretical studies supported the major contribution of the 18π delocalization pathway toward the aromatic nature of the B(III) meso-fused benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) in comparison to the 22π delocalization pathway. The B(III) benzitriphyrin(2.1.1) complex acts as a specific colorimetric and fluorogenic F^-/CN^- ion sensor.