Recent Advances in the Luminescence of Arylboronic Acids and their Heteroatom Condensates

Abstract Although organoboron compounds have long been used in optoelectronics, the majority of research has involved boron difluoride and borane type moieties. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the luminescence of boronic acids and their heteroatom condensates (BAHCs), a class which can demonstrate properties of fluorescence, mechanoluminescence, room temperature phosphorescence, aggregation induced emission (AIE), and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). This Review covers the literature until the end of 2020 on the inherent luminescence of tricoordinate arylboronates, grouped into azaborolines (Ar−BNY), boronic acids and esters (Ar−BO 2 ), with a particular focus on the impact of the boron atom on photophysical properties.