Supramolecular Assemblies Based on Dative Boron–Nitrogen Bonds

Erin Sheepwash; Burcak Icli; Kay Severin

doi:10.2533/chimia.2012.212

Supramolecular Assemblies Based on Dative Boron–Nitrogen Bonds

Authors

Erin Sheepwash SCS-Metrohm Foundation Award for best oral presentation, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. erin.sheepwash@epfl.ch
Burcak Icli Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Kay Severin Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2012.212

Keywords:

Boronic acids, Dative bonds, Self-assembly, Supramolecular chemistry

Abstract

Dative boron–nitrogen bonds were found to be a useful binding motif in structural supramolecular chemistry. Crystalline cages were formed using a diboronate ester and 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine. These cages can act as hosts for electron-rich planar aromatic systems such as triphenylene. Further, crystalline two-dimensional polymers were formed via dative B–N bonds between a triboronic ester and a ditopic pyridyl ligand. Use of an extended triboronate ester resulted in formation of a gel in toluene with a minimum gelation concentration of 0.5 wt%.