Synthesis, Physical Properties, and Photocurrent Behavior of Strongly Emissive Boron‐Chelate Heterochrysene Derivatives

A BPh2-chelated heterochrysene derivative has been synthesized and characterized. Single crystal analysis of its analogous BF2 complex shows that all carbon and nitrogen atoms are almost in a plane, while the boron atoms twist out of this plane with a torsion angle of 28.796° measured between plane OBN and plane C1–C4–C4′. The BPh2 and BF2 compounds emit strong yellow and green light in methylene chloride with high fluorescence quantum yields, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that the thermal stability of both compounds is high. In addition, a photoswitching device was fabricated based on a thin film of the BF2 complex spin-coated onto single-walled carbon nanotubes, which produces a steady and reproducible photocurrent response.