Synthetic Doping of Acenaphthylene through BN/CC Isosterism and a Direct Comparison with BN-Acenaphthene

Boron/nitrogen-doped acenaphthylenes, a new class of BN-doped cyclopenta-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were synthesized via indole-directed C-H borylation. The reference molecule BN-acenaphthene was also synthesized in a similar manner. Both BN-acenaphthylene and BN-acenaphthene were unequivocally characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The aromaticities of each ring in BN-acenaphthylenes were quantified by experimental and theoretical methods. Moreover, doping the BN unit into acenaphthylene can increase the LUMO level and decrease the HOMO level, resulting in wider HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. Furthermore, regioselective bromination of BN-acenaphthylene (B-Mes) afforded monobrominated BN-acenaphthylene in good yield. Subsequently, cross-coupling of brominated BN-acenaphthylene gave a series of BN-acenaphthylene derivatives. In addition, the photophysical properties of these BN-acenaphthylene derivatives can be fine-tuned by the substituents on the BN-acenaphthylene scaffold.