Open AccessSubstituent Directed Phototransformations of BN-Heterocycles: Elimination vs Isomerization via Selective B–C Bond Cleavage
Author(s) -
DengTao Yang,
Soren K. Mellerup,
JinBao Peng,
Xiang Wang,
ZeSheng Li,
Suning Wang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the american chemical society
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.115
H-Index - 612
eISSN - 1520-5126
pISSN - 0002-7863
DOI - 10.1021/jacs.6b07899
Subject(s) - chemistry , isomerization , photoisomerization , substituent , steric effects , bond cleavage , phenanthrene , cleavage (geology) , stereochemistry , photochemistry , organic chemistry , geotechnical engineering , fracture (geology) , engineering , catalysis
Electron-rich and -poor BN-heterocycles with benzyl-pyridyl backbones and two bulky aryls on the boron (Ar = tipp, BN-1, Ar = MesF, BN-2) have been found to display distinct molecular transformations upon irradiation by UV light. BN-1 undergoes an efficient photoelimination reaction forming a BN-phenanthrene with ΦPE = 0.25, whereas BN-2 undergoes a thermally reversible, stereoselective, and quantitative isomerization to a dark colored BN-1,3,5-cyclooctatriene (BN-1,3,5-COT, BN-2a). This unusual photoisomerization persists for other BN-heterocycles with electron-deficient aryls such as BN-3 with a benzyl-benzothiazolyl backbone and Mes(F) substituents or BN-4 with a benzyl-pyridyl backbone and two C6F5 groups on the boron. The photoisomerization of BN-4 goes beyond BN-1,3,5-COT (BN-4a), forming a new species (BN-1,3,6-COT, BN-4b) via C-F bond cleavage and [1,3]-F atom sigmatropic migration. Computational studies support that BN-4a is an intermediate in the formation of BN-4b. This work establishes that steric and electronic factors can effectively control the transformations of BN-heterocycles, allowing access to important and previously unknown BN-embedded species.