Polymethine Dyes Based on 2,2-Difluoro-1,3,2-dioxaborine: A Minireview

Abstract

Aim. To summarize and analyze literature data on the polymethine dyes containing the 2,2-difluoro-1,3,2-dioxaborine ring. Results and discussion. Boron difluoride complex of β-diketone (2,2-difluoro-1,3,2-dioxaborine, F2DB) is a unique structural motif endowing organic compounds with prominent physicochemical properties, such as a strong fluorescence and high molar attenuation coefficients. Incorporation of the F2DB core into a polymethine chromophore either as an end-group or as an integral part of the polymethine chain allows obtaining dyes with exceptional characteristics, highly appealing for design of up-to-date functional materials. This review focuses on the synthesis and spectral properties of the F2DB-containing polymethines along with the latest advancement in the synthesis of highly fluorescent polyanionic polymethines. A brief discussion of the effects of the structural modification of the π-conjugated system on the photophysical properties of dyes is included. Conclusions. The literature on the F2DB-containing polymethines demonstrates a high potential of the F2DB core for the development of strongly fluorescent and intensely absorbing dyes.

Keywords

• dioxaborine
• polymethine
• merocyanine
• anionic dye
• absorption
• fluorescence