Advances in the Applications of Boron Tetrapyrrole and Dipyrrin Complexes

Over the years we have developed the chemistry of boron complexes of porphyrins and corroles, and have recently made the first examples of boron calixphyrin and porphyrazine complexes.  The unifying motifs are the coordination of two borons per tetrapyrrole macrocycle, with both the structural stereochemistry and the chemical reactivity dictated by the steric demands of incorporating two boron atoms within a tightly defined cavity.  We are now exploring the physical properties of these classes of complexes with a view to developing applications, for example in PDT.  We have also explored new chemistry of the well-known boron dipyrrins (or BODIPYs) and have developed new chemistry for directly attaching BODIPY groups to substrates that are useful in biology and materials science.