In this Account, we discuss our group’s research over the past decade on a class of functionalized boron clusters with tunable chemical and physical properties, with an emphasis on accessing and controlling their redox behavior. These clusters can be thought of as three-dimensional aromatic systems that have distinct redox behavior and photophysical properties compared to their two-dimensional organic counterparts. Specifically, our lab has studied the highly tunable, multielectron redox behavior of B₁₂(OR)₁₂ clusters and applied these molecules in various settings. We first discuss the spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization of B₁₂(OR)₁₂ clusters in various oxidation states, followed by their use as catholytes and/or anolytes in redox flow batteries and chemical dopants in conjugated polymers. Additionally, the high oxidizing potential and visible light-absorbing nature of fluoroaryl-functionalized B₁₂(OR)₁₂ clusters have been leveraged by our group to generate weakly coordinating, photoexcitable species that can promote photooxidation chemistry.

中文翻译：

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氧化还原活性硼团簇

在本报告中，我们讨论了我们小组在过去十年中对一类具有可调化学和物理性质的功能化硼簇的研究，重点是访问和控制它们的氧化还原行为。这些簇可以被认为是三维芳香系统，与二维有机对应物相比，它们具有独特的氧化还原行为和光物理性质。具体来说，我们的实验室研究了 B ₁₂ (OR) ₁₂团簇的高度可调的多电子氧化还原行为，并将这些分子应用于各种环境中。我们首先讨论了各种氧化态下 B ₁₂ (OR) ₁₂团簇的光谱和电化学表征，然后讨论了它们在氧化还原液流电池中作为阴极电解液和/或阳极电解液以及在共轭聚合物中作为化学掺杂剂的用途。此外，我们的团队利用氟芳基官能化的 B ₁₂ (OR) ₁₂簇的高氧化电位和可见光吸收性质来生成弱配位、光可激发的物质，从​​而促进光氧化化学。