Boron is a metalloid, having properties intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals.  Given the empty p-orbital found on neutral boron, most boron containing species can serve as Lewis acids, coordinating to Lewis bases.  As such, coordination between boron and amines has long been used to generate supramolecular assemblies, from macrocycles to polymers to extended crystalline networks.  Reported here, coordination between boronate diesters and diamines produced polymorphic material with solvent-dependent structures.  Some materials contain persistent pores and show selective guest uptake, for example adsorbing benzene over toluene, ethylbenzene or xylene (BTEX).  Other structures undergo a color transition upon guest binding, affording highly selective sensors.  One such compound changes from dark red to bright yellow upon exposure to benzene vapor, yet does not show any color transition when exposed to other aromatic guests.  Based on these novel supramolecular boronates, applications for both storage and sensing of benzene will be presented.

Porous supramolecular boronates:  Selective sequestration and sensing of benzene

244th National Meeting (2012)

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