The Department of Organic Chemistry kindly invites you to the following talk:

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Matthias Wagner, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Title: “Boron-Doped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Luminescence Properties and Bond-Activation Reactions”

Many boron-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (B-PAHs) are visible-light emitters and excellent electron acceptors, which renders them versatile materials for OLED fabrication. Moreover, reduced B-PAHs are emerging as a new class of main-group ambiphiles, both complementing and rivalling the classic ‘Frustrated Lewis Pairs’. This lecture will provide an overview of both topics: boron-containing optoelectronic materials and arylborane catalysts.^[1] Novel straightforward and high-yielding syntheses for B- and B,E-PAHs will be presented (E = N, O, S; cf. 1, 2). Special emphasis will be put on helically twisted structures. Examples are B₂-tetrabenzopentacenes, B₂N₂-perylenes, and B₂N-phenalenes.^[2] Doubly reduced 9-borafluorenes and 9,10-diboraanthracenes exhibit B-centered nucleophilicity. We will show that, in the case of the latter system, the cooperative action of both adjacent boron centers can be exploited for the activation of H₂, CO₂, alkynes, and boranes (cf. 3). ^[3]

1. Review article: v. Grotthuss, E.; John, A.; Kaese, T.; Wagner M. Asian J. Org. Chem 2018, 7, 37.
2. (a) Kaehler, T.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 11379; (b) Scholz, A. S.; Massoth, J. G.; Bursch, M.; Mewes, J.-M.; Hetzke, T.; Wolf, B.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Grimme, S.; Wagner M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 11072; (c) Jin, T.; Kunze, L.; Breimaier, S.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Jäkle, F.; Winter, R. F.; Braun, M.; Mewes, J.-M.; Wagner, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 13704; (d) Menduti, L.; Baldoli, C.; Manetto, S.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Longhi, G.; Villani, C.; Licandro, E.; Wagner M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202215468.
3. (a) v. Grotthuss, E.; Prey, S. E.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 16491; (b) v. Grotthuss, E.; Prey, S. E.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 6082; (c) Gilmer, J.; Budy, H.; Kaese, T.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 5621; (d) Trageser, T.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 7726; Budy, H.; Kaese, T.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Wagner, M. Angew. Chem. 2021, 133, 19546; (e) Prey, S. E.; Herok, C.; Fantuzzi, F.; Bolte, M.; Lerner, H.-W.; Engels, B.; Wagner M. Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 849.

Contact persons:
Prof. Davide Bonifazi, Email: davide.bonifazi@univie.ac.at
Adm. Assistant: Frau Alma Krpuljevic-Hanic, Email: alma.krpuljevic-hanic@univie.ac.at