Electron-Deficient Heteroacenes that Contain Two Boron Atoms: Near-Infrared Fluorescence Based on a Push–Pull Effect

Electron-deficient heteroacenes that contain two tricoordinate boron atoms in their acene skeletons and planarized phenyl ether moieties at their periphery were synthesized via the borylation of the corresponding silicon-bridged precursors. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed quinoidal structures, which give rise to two-step reversible redox processes for both the reduction and oxidation. These compounds exhibit intense absorption and sharp fluorescence bands with vibronic structures in the near-infrared (NIR) region. These properties originate from the push–pull effect along the long axis of the molecule derived from the electron-donating ether moiety and the electron-accepting boron moieties. Of particular note is the NIR emission of the thienothiophene-centered heteroacene, which has a maximum at 952 nm with a narrow band width of 309 cm–1 in cyclohexane. A Franck–Condon analysis revealed the crucial role of the sterically less-hindered thienothiophene spacer in achieving this sharp emission band.