Lewis-acid mediated borodegermylation grants access to donorand acceptor-substituted azaboraspirobifluorenes
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Boron-centered spiro compounds represent a prominent platform for the design of optoelectronic materials. The orthogonally arranged π-conjugated systems around boron enhance stability toward air and moisture, facilitate processing, and allow electronic tuning through donor and acceptor substitution. Synthetic methods reported to date for the preparation of these compounds suffer from low efficiency and poor functional group tolerance, limiting the diversity of accessible electronic materials with tailored properties. Herein, we present a synthetic method leveraging the “Goldilocks” reactivity of germoles among Group 14 analogues to achieve a highly efficient and versatile AlCl3-catalyzed borodegermylation reaction, granting access to donor- and acceptor-functionalized azaboraspirobifluorenes. Furtheremore, the reaction efficiency can be enhanced by employing the sublimed catalyst and the use of an additive. Owing to their high stability, comparatively low toxicity and non-pyrophoric nature, the use of organogermanium compounds provides a more robust and safer alternative to methods that rely on other organometallic reagents.
Source: ChemRxiv
Institution: University of Würzburg
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Award: G880006884
OpenAlex ID: W7221682603