321: Luminescent boron-containing polymers and dynamic supramolecular networks

Abstract: The incorporation of main group elements into polymeric materials is frequently used to impart unusual properties and enable new functions. For instance, tricoordinate boron’s participation in p-delocalization can have a dramatic effect on the optical properties by selectively lowering the LUMO orbital levels. The electron-deficient character of boron also enables dynamic Lewis acid-base interactions that induce strong perturbations of the electronic structure. Our group has developed versatile approaches for incorporating borane Lewis acids and Lewis pairs into molecular and polymeric materials. We have pioneered the selective attachment of borane Lewis acids to polyolefins through direct polymerization and post-polymerization approaches. In this talk, I will discuss some of these discoveries, highlighting the ability to generate luminescent polymers by borane functionalization and their utility as sensory, dynamic, and stimuli-responsive materials.