Acid-Sensitive BODIPY Dyes: Synthesis through Pd-Catalyzed Direct C(sp )-H Arylation and Photophysics.

A novel palladium-catalyzed direct C(sp )-H arylation of the methyl group at the 8-position of BODIPY by bromoarenes was established. A deprotonative cross-coupling process was supposed to be involved in the reaction. This approach allowed us to attach electron-donating/withdrawing, halogen substituted aryls and a heteroaryl with a yield running from 55 to 99 %.

A Blue-Light-Emitting BODIPY Probe for Lipid Membranes.

Here we describe a new BODIPY-based membrane probe (1) that provides an alternative to dialkylcarbocyanine dyes, such as DiI-C18, that can be excited in the blue spectral region. Compound 1 has unbranched octadecyl chains at the 3,5-positions and a meso-amino function. In organic solvents, the absorption and emission maxima of 1 are determined mainly by solvent acidity and dipolarity.

Radical C-H alkylation of BODIPY dyes using potassium trifluoroborates or boronic acids.

A one-step synthetic procedure for the radical CH alkylation of BODIPY dyes has been developed. This new reaction generates alkyl radicals through the oxidation of boronic acids or potassium trifluoroborates and allows the synthesis of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraalkylated fluorophores in a good to excellent yield for a broad range of organoboron compounds. Using this protocol, multiple bulky alkyl groups can be introduced onto the BODIPY core thus creating solid-state emissive BODIPY dyes.

Thiocyanation of BODIPY dyes and their conversion to thioalkylated derivatives.

A high-yielding method for the direct thiocyanation of BODIPY dyes is described. In 1,3-dimethyl BODIPYs, the thiocyanato group adds at position 2, whereas the insertion occurs at position 5 in 3-amino BODIPYs. The transformation of the thiocyanato group enables the synthesis of thioalkylated BODIPYs.

Radical C-H arylation of the BODIPY core with aryldiazonium salts: synthesis of highly fluorescent red-shifted dyes.

We describe herein the first radical C-H arylation of BODIPY dyes. This novel, general, one-step synthetic procedure uses ferrocene to generate aryl radical species from aryldiazonium salts and allows the straightforward synthesis of brightly fluorescent (Φ>0.85) 3,5-diarylated and 3-monoarylated boron dipyrrins in up to 86 % yield for a broad range of aryl substituents.