B,N-doped PAHs from Tridentate 'Defects' - a Bottom-up Convergent Approach for π-extended Systems

A logical construction of monomeric subunits armed with the carbonyl functionality allowing post-synthetic reactivity leads to the convergent formation of π-extended defected units activated with BBr. The kinetic or thermodynamic control entraps either the pyrido[2,3-]quinoline or the 4,7-phenanthroline motifs doped with boron(III), which deeply modulates the optical properties.