BODIPY Compounds Substituted on Boron

BODIPY compounds are important organic dyes with exceptional spectral and photophysical properties and numerous applications in different scientific fields. Their widespread applications have flourished due to their easy structural modifications, which enable the preparation of different molecular structures with tunable spectral and photophysical properties. To date, researchers have mostly devoted their efforts to modifying BODIPY meso-position or pyrrole rings, whereas the substitution of fluorine atoms remains largely unexplored. However, chemistry of the boron atom is possible, and it enables tuning of the photophysical properties of the dyes, without tackling their spectral properties. Furthermore, modifications of boron affect the solubility and aggregation propensity of the molecules. This review article highlights methods for the preparation of 4-substituted compounds and the most important reactions on the boron of the BODIPY dyes. They were divided into reactions promoted by Lewis acid (AlCl3 or BCl3), or bases such as alkoxides and organometallic reagents. By using these two methodologies, it is possible to cleave B–F bonds and substitute them with B–C, B–N, or B–O bonds from different nucleophiles. A special emphasis in this review is given to still underdeveloped photochemical reactions of the boron atom of BODIPY dyes. These reactions have the potential to be used in the development of a new line of BODIPY photo-cleavable protective groups (also known as photocages) with bio-medicinal and photo-pharmacological applications, such as drug delivery.