The synthesis, photophysical, and electrochemical properties of selectively mono-, bis- and tris-dimethylamino- and trimethylammonium-substituted bis-triarylborane bithiophene chromophores are presented along with the water solubility and singlet oxygen sensitizing efficiency of the cationic compounds Cat\(^{1+}\), Cat\(^{2+}\), Cat(i)\(^{2+}\), and Cat\(^{3+}\). Comparison with the mono-triarylboranes reveals the large influence of the bridging unit on the properties of the bis-triarylboranes, especially those of the cationic compounds. Based on these preliminary investigations, the interactions of Cat\(^{1+}\), Cat\(^{2+}\), Cat(i)\(^{2+}\), and Cat\(^{3+}\) with DNA, RNA, and DNApore were investigated in buffered solutions. The same compounds were investigated for their ability to enter and localize within organelles of human lung carcinoma (A549) and normal lung (WI38) cells showing that not only the number of charges but also their distribution over the chromophore influences interactions and staining properties.

A series of bis‐(4’‐pyridylethynyl)arenes (arene=benzene, tetrafluorobenzene, and anthracene) were synthesized and their bis‐N‐methylpyridinium compounds were investigated as a class of π‐extended methyl viologens. Their structures were determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties (cyclic voltammetry), as well as their interactions with DNA/RNA were investigated. The dications showed bathochromic shifts in emission compared to the neutral compounds. The neutral compounds showed very small Stokes shifts, which are a little larger for the dications. All of the compounds showed very short fluorescence lifetimes (<4 ns). The neutral compound with an anthracene core has a quantum yield of almost unity. With stronger acceptors, the analogous bis‐N‐methylpyridinium compound showed a larger two‐photon absorption cross‐section than its neutral precursor. All of the dicationic compounds interact with DNA/RNA; while the compounds with benzene and tetrafluorobenzene cores bind in the grooves, the one with an anthracene core intercalates as a consequence of its large, condensed aromatic linker moiety, and it aggregates within the polynucleotide when in excess over DNA/RNA. Moreover, all cationic compounds showed highly specific CD spectra upon binding to ds‐DNA/RNA, attributed to the rare case of forcing the planar, achiral molecule into a chiral rotamer, and negligible toxicity toward human cell lines at ≤10 μM concentrations. The anthracene‐analogue exhibited intracellular accumulation within lysosomes, preventing its interaction with cellular DNA/RNA. However, cytotoxicity was evident at 1 μM concentration upon exposure to light, due to singlet oxygen generation within cells. These multi‐faceted features, in combination with its two‐photon absorption properties, suggest it to be a promising lead compound for development of novel light‐activated theranostic agents.

The heteroarene 1,4-bis(CAAC)-1,4-diborabenzene (1; CAAC = cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene) reacts with [(MeCN)\(_3\)M(CO)\(_3\)] (M = Cr, Mo, W) to yield half-sandwich complexes of the form [(η\(^6\)-diborabenzene)M(CO)\(_3\)] (M = Cr (2), Mo (3), W (4)). Investigation of the new complexes with a combination of X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic methods and DFT calculations shows that ligand 1 is a remarkably strong electron donor. In particular, [(η\(^6\)-arene)M(CO)\(_3\)] complexes of this ligand display the lowest CO stretching frequencies yet observed for this class of complex. Cyclic voltammetry on complexes 2-4 revealed one reversi- ble oxidation and two reversible reduction events in each case, with no evidence of ring-slippage of the arene to the η\(^4\) binding mode. Treatment of 4 with lithium metal in THF led to identification of the paramagnetic complex [(1)W(CO)\(_3\)]Li·2THF (5). Compound 1 can also be reduced in the absence of a transition metal to its dianion 1\(^{2–}\), which possesses a quinoid-type structure.

Molecules containing multiple bonds between atoms—most often in the form of olefins—are ubiquitous in nature, commerce, and science, and as such have a huge impact on everyday life. Given their prominence, over the last few decades, frequent attempts have been made to perturb the structure and reactivity of multiply-bound species through bending and twisting. However, only modest success has been achieved in the quest to completely twist double bonds in order to homolytically cleave the associated π bond. Here, we present the isolation of double-bond-containing species based on boron, as well as their fully twisted diradical congeners, by the incorporation of attached groups with different electronic properties. The compounds comprise a structurally authenticated set of diamagnetic multiply-bound and diradical singly-bound congeners of the same class of compound.

The diborene 1 was synthesized by reduction of a mixture of 1,2-di-9-anthryl-1,2-dibromodiborane(4) (6) and trimethylphosphine with potassium graphite. The X-ray structure of 1 shows the two anthryl rings to be parallel and their π(C\(_{14}\)) systems perpendicular to the diborene π(B=B) system. This twisted conformation allows for intercalation of the relatively high-lying π(B=B) orbital and the low-lying π* orbital of the anthryl moiety with no significant conjugation, resulting in a small HOMO-LUMO gap (HLG) and ultimately an unprecedented anthryl B–B bond hydroarylation. The HLG of 1 was estimated to be 1.57 eV from the onset of the long wavelength band in its UV–vis absorption spectrum (THF, λ\(_{onset}\) = 788 nm). The oxidation of 1 with elemental selenium afforded diboraselenirane 8 in quantitative yield. By oxidative abstraction of one phosphine ligand by another equivalent of elemental selenium, the B–B and C\(^1\)–H bonds of 8 were cleaved to give the cyclic 1,9-diboraanthracene 9.