Organoboron compounds offer new approaches to tune the electronic structures of π-conjugated molecules. In this work, an electron acceptor (M-BNBP4P-1) is developed by endcapping an organoboron core unit with two strong electron-withdrawing groups. M-BNBP4P-1 exhibits a unique wide absorption spectrum with two strong absorption bands in the long wavelength region (λ = 771 nm) and the short wavelength region (λ = 502 nm), which indicate superior sunlight harvesting capability. This is due to its special electronic structure, i.e. a delocalized LUMO and a localized HOMO. Prototype solution-processed organic solar cells based on M-BNBP4P-1 show a power conversion efficiency of 7.06% and a wide photoresponse from 350 nm to 880 nm.

Stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives bearing L-leucine ethyl ester pendants, poly-1 and poly-2a, were, respectively, synthesized by the polymerization of N-(4-ethynylphenylcarbamoyl)-L-leucine ethyl ester (1) and N-(4-ethynylphenyl-carbonyl)-L-leucine ethyl ester (2) using Rh(nbd)BPh 4 as a catalyst, while stereoirregular poly-2b was synthesized by solid-state thermal polymerization of 2. Their chiral recognition abilities for nine racemates were evaluated as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after coating them on silica gel. Both poly-1 and poly-2a with a helical conformation showed their characteristic recognition depending on coating solvents and the linkage groups between poly(phenylacetylene) and L-leucine ethyl ester pendants. Poly-2a with a shorter amide linkage showed higher chiral recognition than poly-1 with a longer urea linkage. Coating solvents played an important role in the chiral recognition of both poly-1 and poly-2a due to the different conformation of the polymer main chains induced by the solvents. A few racemates were effectively resolved on the poly-2a coated with a MeOH/CHCl 3 (3/7, v/v) mixture. The separation factors for these racemates were comparable to those obtained on the very popular CSPs derived from polysaccharide phenylcarbamates. Stereoirregular poly-2b exhibited much lower chiral recognition than the corresponding stereoregular, helical poly-2a, suggesting that the regular structure of poly-(phenylacetylene) main chains is essential to attain high chiral recognition.